Search for Sakura Mikan
by littledoggy
Summary: Mikan's mysterious disappearance is still unsolved, causing worry, and in some cases, longing. Will her friends stand aside and watch the Academy's futile attempts to find her, or will they step up to find her themselves? Oh, Mikan, where are you?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice. Simple as that.**

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**Chapter 1**

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Dusk had fallen barely an hour ago. A blanket of silence draped itself over the formidable Northern Woods as its occupants slept peacefully whilst nocturnal critters scurried about for fallen fruit and nuts. The owls, however, refused to make an appearance and continued sleeping with their heads under their feathery wings. Food can wait; there were plenty to go around.

No one noticed anything strange in the Northern Woods that night, but the animals did. Animals steered clear of a tightly-packed group of trees, where they could sense a nearly-silent buzz of occasional activity. There were humans there, they knew, and these men were planning on something nasty.

Some distance away, the clock ticked happily away, cradled by the tower that supported it. It spelt three quarters to seven. In the woods, the men continued to wait.

When the clock's bell chimed eight, the leader of the group of men grinned.

"It's time."

….

The attack by members of the Anti-Alice Organization caught the Academy staff off-guard. The staff room was attacked first, crushed to dust and rubble by thick, deadly vines at least half a meter in diameter.

A moment later, adults rushed out of the high school building, where they were having a meeting. Students trailed behind them, curious and ignorant of the danger that was looming ahead. There was a gasp. A scream.

Then, the battle began.

Caught unaware, the Academy staff and students, only ten men strong, could not hold against the onslaught of the AAO. Some teachers detached themselves from the fray to warn the other students and keep them safe, running under cover as alices rained down around them.

Barely five minutes later, Persona returned with his masked students. The boost in the Academy's defense was significant, but not enough to stop the invaders. The AAO were slowly advancing towards the main school building.

At the edge of the battle, a teenage girl looked on with fear. The noises frightened her, and the sight of blood only managed to make her beating heart race faster.

"N-Natsume!" she squeaked, taking a step backward. "Natsume, w-what's happening?"

A lean boy donning a black cat mask winced when he heard his name. Dealing a last punch to his adversary, Natsume turned round and appeared behind the girl, hissing, "Baka youjo. Go back!"

"But what's happening?" Mikan cried. "Tell me!"

"Isn't it clear enough?" Natsume snapped, clearly not in the mood to deal with her idiocy. "Go away, baka! This place isn't safe."

As he finished his sentence, he slammed a fistful of fire into the chest of a man, drawing a cry of pain.

"I'll help you! Look, I'll just nullify the alices and--"

"You'll nullify ours, too! But with your weak control over your Alice, you'll fail anyway."

Mikan crossed her arms, her mouth set in a stubborn pout. "Will not! Here, I'll prove it--"

"_Move_!" Natsume growled, shoving her roughly to the side when he spotted an approaching enemy. Glaring at the man through slits in his cat mask, he stood his ground and tried to activate his Alice.

But nothing happened.

Wide-eyed, Natsume whirled round to look at the brunette, who was holding a hand to her head. A trickle of blood was visible, seeping out under her palm. Mikan groaned in pain, ignorant of the circle of white-blue light that was steadily growing bigger around her.

"Oi, polka! Stop your Alice!"

"What…?" Mikan mumbled. "Ouch, my head…."

Natsume took her by her shoulders and started to shake her. "Stop your Alice! It's affecting everyone and it definitely isn't helping!"

Startled, Mikan looked up only to see the silhouette of a man against the bright full moon, standing directly behind Natsume. Her words of warning never left her lips. Natsume crashed to the ground a few feet away from her, grunting in pain. The cat mask came away and clattered to a stop at Mikan's feet.

She stared at it for a while, her mind racing to get a hold on the situation. She could hear Natsume's grunts of pain as he struggled to stand.

Slowly, anger boiled up within her. The range of her alice grew.

"No one," she whispered, "no one…can ever hurt…my…_friends_!"

Natsume could only look on, riddled with pain, as Mikan's alice exploded.

….

He didn't know how long he stayed on the ground like that. The only thing he could register was the eerie silence in the wake of the alice explosion Mikan had caused. Nothing seems to be moving – or was it his ears that were playing tricks on his tired mind? He didn't know.

Groaning, Natsume struggled to reach for his classmate whom he knew was nearby. His groping hand found something warm, and he pulled himself towards it on his hands and knees as he was still too dazed to stand.

Mikan was there, shivering despite the warm summer night. Up close, Natsume could see her tears leaking out of her eyes. But he didn't know what to do – he had never been one who was good at consoling others, being a pessimist.

In the end, Natsume squeezed her arm a little, which turned out to be the appendage he had found. If Mikan noticed, she didn't show it.

"Hey, polka dots," he tried. Mikan continued shedding silent tears, her body trembling under his touch. He was about to give up when she opened her mouth to speak.

"…I didn't mean to do it."

Her voice was croaky and her words were whispered, but Natsume heard it. Squeezing her arm a little harder, he sat up beside her.

"Can you stand?" he asked, a little awkwardly.

A little whimper was Mikan's only answer. Sighing, Natsume offered a helping hand and was surprised when Mikan clung to him like a child. Her nails dug into his skin, but he said nothing about it.

"I only did it because I was scared," she confessed suddenly. "Scared, but for you. I wonder why."

"Hn."

After a while, Mikan stopped trembling and her breathing became slower, steadier. Her fingers loosened their hold on Natsume arm and fell peacefully on his thigh, igniting embarrassment in the teenager.

"Baka youjo," he muttered.

Dry leaves crackled somewhere behind him, causing him to whirl round. He ignored the disgusting sight of the bloodied battlefield and the twisted corpses in favour of the man who was coming towards him. He looked distinctly familiar, Natsume couldn't help thinking, but he couldn't recall where he had met him.

"Ah, the nullification girl," the man said, smiling malevolently. "No wonder our alices failed to work, eh, Hyuuga?"

Natsume glared at the adult he now recognized as Mouri Reo. "Keep away."

Reo merely smirked and let his gaze slip off the fire caster and onto the sleeping Mikan, whose head was resting on Natsume's shoulders. "Now, now, Natsume. No need to be so harsh."

A spark of fire burst into existence near Reo's left cheek, illuminating the small earring there. Natsume could see more men behind Reo, ready to attack at the slightest provocation. He glared at them with hate.

"That's disrespectful, Natsume," Reo said casually as he eyed the fireball. "Perhaps you need some, ah, lessons."

"Tch."

A person detached himself from the group and charged at Natsume, the blade of a knife glinting in the moonlight. Natsume narrowed his eyes and awaited his turn to strike. He parried the knife easily, but he wasn't prepared for the punch that made the wind whistle in his right ear.

The two males started exchanging quick blows and kicks, striking and blocking with apparent ease. Around them, Reo's men started to close in and Reo stepped closer to the sleeping Mikan. At the same time, he started fiddling with his earring.

Natsume noticed their plan a little too late – the men had encircled him, cutting him off from the brunette whom he had left unguarded. Reo had a triumphant smirk on his face as he stroked Mikan's cheek.

"You wouldn't want me to hurt her, right?"

Natsume staggered where he stood, clutching his head. "Damn you…" he muttered angrily.

"Be a good boy and…_**sleep**_."

Reo watched as Natsume's eyes widened at the impact of his voice pheromone alice, caught unaware. The boy then crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"Well, our job is done," he said after observing Natsume to confirm the effectiveness of his alice. "Let's go." With that, he picked Mikan up from the ground and turned to leave.

"But Reo-sama…why bring a hostage along?" One of his henchmen asked. Reo turned round and smirked.

"Can't you guess? If you can't, you'll find out when we return to the headquarters. Come on. Seiji?"

"Yes," a man at the back of the group replied. Seconds later, the only thing that proved their little visit to the Academy was a litter of bodies and a forest splattered with blood.

….

"…Look, he's awake!"

Natsume opened his eyes slowly at the sound, wincing a little at the bright light. A whiff of an all too-familiar scent made him cringe. He'd know this smell anywhere - the smell of medicine.

"What happened?" he asked Ruka, who was standing beside his bed. Not really caring for an answer, he glanced around the room. Hotaru, Ruka, Iincho and Sumire were there, but that was all.

Natsume frowned and looked again. Someone was missing….

"Where's polka dots?" he asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. Dimly, he noticed his four classmates stiffen.

No answer. Natsume growled and conjured up a small fireball in his hand.

"Don't make me repeat my question." He sent a murderous glare at them for good measure.

Ruka cleared his throat, flinching when he found Natsume's cold stare on him. Even Hotaru looked a little apprehensive.

"Well…." Ruka halted, still uncertain. "Mikan is…Mikan isn't here, Natsume."

"We don't know where she is," Iincho piped in, quailing under Natsume's glare. Hotaru merely looked on.

"…Get out."

Ruka flinched. "What?"

"Get. Out."

"But, Natsume-kun," Sumire pleaded. Natsume glared at her, snapped his fingers and watched as Sumire ran away, beating at her burning skirt. Ruka and Hotaru followed her at a much slower pace, leaving the door to click shut on its own.

Once they were gone, Natsume fell back onto his fluffy pillow, eyeing the cream-coloured ceiling. Memories of yesterday flooded his mind, almost against his will.

He gripped the bedsheets tightly, furiously fighting down the urge to scream and wreak havoc in the hospital. He had failed to see through Reo's plan in time. What an idiot he was.

Mikan…it was his fault that she was kidnapped. He wasn't capable of protecting her when she was helpless, his fault for not ensuring that she had gotten away safely.

All of it was his fault.

A single tear fell onto his pale hand, reflecting his face and ruby-red eyes. He never realized it, but over the course of a few years, he had grown really attached to the bubbly girl. She never failed to amuse him or cheer him up whenever he felt down. Of course, the methods he used to relieve himself of his bad mood were not really what one might call decent either…

If he had known that this would happen, would his attitude towards her been different? It might.

Then again, it might not.

….

**REVISED.**

Hallo! Please, whatever you do, don't blame me for starting yet another story…I couldn't help it…

Of course, please leave me a review if you can. It really makes me happy!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two is here! Lucky I managed to complete it before I left it hanging…XP Not on purpose, mind you.

**Disclaimer: The usual stuff. I do not own Gakuen Alice, blah, blah.**

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**Chapter 2**

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"Let me out of here."

"I'm sorry, but we can't allow that, Hyuuga-san. You are in no state -"

"Let. Me. Out." Natsume glared angrily at the doctor, his ruby red eyes boring a hole through the man's head. That man was really testing his patience, and patience was something Hyuuga Natsume was _not_ famous for.

The doctor quailed under the icy glare. Never had he encountered anything that looked so ferocious in his life.

Natsume growled under his breath. Sure, that stupid doctor was hesitating, but he did not seem to be anywhere near to relenting to his wish. And that made Natsume furious. When he says anything, he expects it to be obeyed right away, and not have it contradicted. And this bastard is very, _very_ close to being barbequed alive.

His anger was burning with a passion deep in his chest, mingling along with a huge dose of some unknown feeling. The mighty force that was applied to his chest nearly suffocated him. Yet the force implied was not caused by any physical object. In fact, it seemed to come from inside of him. It throbbed incessantly, _painfully_, against his ribs, pushing hard and trying the strength of his bones.

What was this awkward feeling? Natsume did not like it in the least. Blood pounded in his eardrums. All he could see was a red blur. Only one thing made sense to the deranged boy at the moment: search for Mikan. Mikan had disappeared, and it was up to him, and him alone, to find her.

Those words repeated themselves again and again in his mind, sounding very much like a mantra monks often recited in prayers. One word echoed louder than the others each time the words repeated themselves, and that word was this:

_Mikan._

',',

A semi-conscious boy stumbled aimlessly around the grounds of the Academy, his ruby red eyes half closed. His pale face was flushed with a slight fever. It was enough to cause a wave of dizziness and nausea to wash over him.

Natsume slammed a hand against the sturdy trunk of a tree, too tired to go on. He started to see double, and he cursed under his breath. He was at a great advantage, but he pressed on.

_Mikan…_he thought feverishly, searching anxiously for her as best as he could through his hazy vision. With a pain-filled grunt he pushed himself away from the tree. He stumbled and nearly fell before his tired body adjusted to the sudden shift in position.

His eyes darted left and right, taking in the students of Gakuen Alice and the crisp brown leaves that fell in abundance from the branches of trees. Natsume willed himself to take another step forward, and another, and another. He was now in a secluded spot, well hidden by countless green leaves and creeping vines.

It looked strangely familiar…

Then realization hit him with the force of a raging bull. Somehow, it made sense, even through his dulled mind.

This was the place he had lost the one most dear to him, the place he had seen her last. The greenery had hindered his classmates from finding him sooner, too…

Natsume used to love this place. It provided the perfect refuge from annoying noises and chattering. What with the creepers hanging down from boughs and huge leaves that shut out blinding sunlight, it was paradise to Natsume, even more so because his beloved had liked it too…but now that it held so many bitter memories, it was hard to imagine that he had once favoured this spot.

In fact, he downright hated it.

He could feel righteous anger boiling up within him. His arm trembled with exultation as his alice burned up within him, threatening to blow its top off.

Natsume snarled subconsciously. In a fleet moment his alice erupted and enveloped the area in flames. Natsume's fiery gaze watched healthy green leaves being burnt into a crisp by a tongue of flame, ruby red eyes burning with lives of their own.

He threw his head back and laughed hysterically. Seeing the leaves wilt under the intense heat gave him a satisfying feeling nothing else could give. Nothing besides teasing polka dots, that is.

His alice drained his strength from his rapidly weakening body. Natsume felt his remaining energy dwindle until he was barely able to stand. He didn't care. Perhaps he would be able to meet her on the other side…with that resolve in his fuzzy mind, he pushed his power to its limits even though it caused him extreme pain. He didn't care anymore. Nothing mattered in the world.

"Mikan," he whined. Oh, the world was spinning so fast…perhaps darkness would be kind and claim him as its own soon…

Natsume's body lurched forwards, his legs no longer able to support his weight. He closed his eyes and awaited the harsh impact of loamy ground against his weak body.

It never came. Natsume found himself dangling awkwardly, only one leg planted on the ground, as though something invisible was supporting him. He forced his head upwards and pried an eyelid open. The flames that engulfed Natsume's former hidey-hole dissipated into wisps of smoke, conserving the last of the boy's energy for him to remain conscious.

"What are you doing?" An exasperated male said some distance away from the boy. Against his will, Natsume's spine bent and he crouched down on all fours, hands planted onto the loamy ground. Natsume loathed himself. He would have welcomed darkness with pleasure, but something always seemed to be in the way.

One pain-filled eye revealed itself from behind a protesting eyelid, taking in the charred greenery that surrounded him and…a man? Hm…loose clothing, built body, a star on his left cheek, and a wooly cap pulled down over his blue black hair…

Natsume groaned. Out of all people, it had to be him…could the heavens be kind to him? Perhaps not…he was impure, after all…he had lost counted of how many had perished in his hands after years of undertaking missions. So why could he not end his life now? It would have come as a blessing. Dying is bliss, especially to the subconscious boy at the moment. The very prospect of dying sounded pretty appealing to his ears.

"You nearly fried me, you know," Tsubasa continued purposefully, trying his best to look at Natsume's face. When he failed, he resorted to using his alice to force the latter to do his bidding. Natsume lifted his head very reluctantly indeed.

What Tsubasa saw was appalling. The younger boy seemed to be on the verge of going berserk. Either that, or he was simply very reckless and was throwing his life away needlessly.

"Snap out of it!"

Natsume remained silent, his ruby red eyes set in a defiant glare. Tsubasa folded his arms and returned it with equal defiance, knowing that Natsume was successfully under his control. There was no way Natsume could free himself from Tsubasa's control in his weakened state.

"Mikan," Natsume said icily. That one word caught Tsubasa off-guard, yet it explained everything to him.

"What's with Mikan-chan?" he asked casually. He felt a pang in his heart as he uttered her name. Mikan was very dear to him. She was like the sister he never had. Well, he had Misaki, but…

"Return her to me."

Tsubasa laughed mirthlessly. "I would if I could. But Mikan isn't with me, and you know that."

"She is, she is! You must be hiding her somewhere! Give her back!" Natsume cried, his voice rising several octaves as his anxiety mounted.

The senpai observed him grimly. He knew how much it hurt to lose a loved one, for Mikan's loss had affected him as well. Yet this boy…he was overreacting. Going crazy was not going to solve anything. Natsume drew a rattling gasp of air that caught Tsubasa's attention. True, he never liked the fire alice, but he did not loathe him. He could spare some concern for him if need be.

He observed Natsume closely and found him to be at the brink of exhaustion, teetering precariously on the plane between consciousness and darkness. Natsume was shivering on the ground though he refused to acknowledge it. His wish to search for Mikan was lodged firmly in his mind and became the only thought that drove him on.

Tsubasa sighed and made Natsume stand up. Using his shadow manipulation alice to support the boy, he led Natsume back to the hospital, ignoring the boy's indignant yells.

',',

"Natsume, calm down!" Ruka yelled as he wrestled Natsume together with several other students, trying to get the boy back into bed. Natsume seemed to have stumbled upon some untapped incredible strength within him, for he managed to fend off three boys at once. He snarled and elbowed Mochu roughly in the chest. The latter grunted and fell to the ground.

Ruka shivered when he chanced to glance once more at Natsume. His face…it was twisted beyond belief with his best friend's fury. Those ruby red gems flared with a life of their own, demanding one person for it to lavish upon:

Sakura Mikan.

The blonde shivered. Natsume was craving for her, and there was nothing he could do. He failed to provide Natsume with what he needed most during these crucial moments. And now, Natsume seemed to have turned into a raving lunatic because of it. It was no wonder Tsubasa had hurried away as soon as Natsume was forced into bed….

Ah, Natsume. He seemed infatuated with her, to the point that he would go mad if she were to be dragged out of his sight for too long a time. Ruka would not have believed it if someone had pointed this out to him before this incident, yet concrete evidence lay right before his own disbelieving eyes. Several times he rubbed them to be sure that he was not hallucinating.

Why? Why did Mikan have such an impact on the fire alice?

Either way, it was not healthy for Natsume if he kept this up. Something must be done to stop him. The boys' strength were not enough to subdue the infuriated male before them. Perhaps it was an effect of adrenaline?

_WHAM._

Ow.

Ruka felt as though his head was spinning on his shoulders. Wow, Natsume sure packed a punch. Truth be told, Ruka had never seen him so livid. The closest glimpse he had got of that was when Persona summoned him for missions, and those were well masked with a look of ignorance. At least, they were _most_ of the time. Natsume would let his mask slip once in a while whenever his emotions started to get the better of him, and Ruka had not liked that look at all.

His eyes were hard and cold…the eyes of a killer. It did not suit his young face in the least. It hardened his features and made him look more mature…_too_ mature.

Ruka glanced fearfully into the eyes of his friend once more. Yep, that cold, hard look was there, along with a mad glint amid the burning flames. Only this time, it was ten times worse, because Natsume was not taking any trouble to mask it.

His back connected with something hard. Ruka grunted in pain. Great. Just great. Now he had a throbbing jaw and a hurt back. He could only hope that his spine was not injured. Probably not, but then again, this was _Natsume_ he was talking about.

"Stand aside," Hotaru's cool voice came floating from behind him. Her arm seemed to be the hard 'something' that was supporting his back, and for that he was grateful. Ruka was not sure whether he would remain conscious if he had hit the floor earlier.

Kokoroyomi and several other boys immediately loosened their hold on the furious Natsume and backed away in relief. There was a gray blur to Ruka's right.

There was a loud bang. Then lots and lots of smoke.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ruka saw Natsume double over and fall to the floor, a hand pressed to his temple. Hotaru did not hesitate to turn the tables and sprayed something over his nose and mouth, rendering him unconscious. Natsume groaned a little before slumping into her arms.

Sumire screamed in protest. "How dare you touch my Natsume?!" Behind her, the Natsume and Ruka Fan Club members echoed her indignant words. Hotaru ignored the racket and placed the unconscious Natsume on the bed.

Feeling satisfied, she took several steps back, unmindful of the fangirls' rant. Her violet eyes mirrored regret and sorrow for both Natsume and another lost friend. She knew how he felt, for she felt it too. The atmosphere seemed a lot gloomier without Mikan's cheerful - though annoying - chatter. Just because she hardly showed any emotions physically does not mean she was cold inside, after all. She felt happiness and sadness, anger and regret, just like any other student could.

"Going berserk won't help her, Hyuuga," she murmured sadly although she knew that Natsume could not hear her. She pitied him. True, she felt sad over the loss of Mikan, but it had a far harder impact on the boy since he had very few friends. Ruka was very dear to him, but even more so was Mikan who had earned a rightful place in his heart.

Hotaru sighed. Natsume should not have been shouldering such a burden at such a young age. Other children would play happily in the sunshine, but he would be isolated from them all, far away from the rest of the world. When night falls, he would go on life-threatening missions whereas the others slept peacefully without a care in the world. It was heart wrenching, to say the least.

Even now, when the fire alice was asleep, his eyebrows were knitted into a frown, his mouth turned down as he grimaced. He was probably feeling the side effects of over-exertion.

Ruka watched him sorrowfully as well. Despite harbouring some feelings for Mikan, his affection was nowhere close enough to compete against Natsume's. Why, she only met him for a year, and here she was, a close friend of Hyuuga Natsume, the _only_ girl allowed to come near him. He understood why that was so. Mikan was special. Unique.

"I read his mind," Koko muttered, shaking his head as though to clear it of something. "I read it. He was repeating one word over and over and over, non-stop."

"What is it?" Ruka interjected.

The latter looked around the room, taking in Ruka's bruised jaw, Mochu who was massaging his sore chest, and all the other students, all in one sweep. Finally his gaze dropped to the floor, eyes hidden by his messy fringe.

"Mikan. He was thinking of Mikan."

Everyone was silent after that.

One could have heard a pin drop. It was that quiet.

Suddenly Ruka laughed weakly. "Mikan, huh?" He shook his head, disbelieving. His gaze rested on the unconscious boy on the hospital bed, looking fragile and brittle. But Ruka knew better. Natsume was made out of tougher material.

Yet the boy is tearing apart at the seams, and all this was caused by a single girl, a mere one-star.

Sakura Mikan.

',',

Natsume tossed and turned fretfully under the blankets. No, he was not feeling hot. He was simply restless, pressured by the fact that Mikan was nowhere in sight and that he could do nothing to help her.

Mikan…she could be unconscious right now, perhaps broken and beaten by the Anti-Alice Organization. Would she be able to fend for herself? Her nullification alice could only do so much to protect her against other alices. She was not immune to solid objects. Nor could she last long in a battle, not when she was battered and weary as she was right after she pushed herself to her limits during the assault in the Gakuen Alice grounds.

Or maybe…just _maybe_, she was alive and well. Perhaps she would greet him with her oh-so-reassuring smile when he woke up from this living nightmare. Perhaps…perhaps she would hold his hand, tell him that it is all right, everything is fine…that _she_ is fine.

Natsume fervently wished it was the milder option of the two that had befallen his little angel. Seeing her by his side again would be his ultimate joy. Nothing, _nothing_, would be able to tear her away again. Nothing at all…

"Mikan," he moaned audibly. There was no one in the room to hear him. That was fine by him. But oh, how he wished to hear her sweet voice answering to his call…

There was a sudden flash of bright light just outside the floor. It illuminated the nearly dark hospital room Natsume was in, successfully catching his eye. He blinked once, twice. Still the light never wavered.

He had thought that it was merely one of the many doctors or nurses who were on night duty, but that did not seem to be the case since his door never opened. At the same time, the light source did not leave either.

Natsume was torn between curiosity and exhaustion. Damn that Imai for spraying something onto his face. Whatever it was, it knocked him unconscious and left him with a splitting headache to boot. He would have to have a word with her regarding her inventions having side effects as soon as this rigmarole was sorted out.

The light receded, catching his eye once again. He squinted to get a better look in the dimly lit room. He cursed lightly under his breath when he could not see anything suspicious. If only he were in a good enough condition to use his alice, but he was not. Using his alice now even to summon a small flame would cause him excruciating pain.

A shadow fell across the white tiled floor as the door swung slowly open. Slowly, very slowly, it stretched and elongated until the fringe touched the bed railings. Natsume stared at it, warily watching the opening door.

He could see a pair of skinny legs standing immobile just outside the oak door. Yet the person did not show any inclination to move forwards to come in. Curiosity got the better of him and he lifted his ruby red eyes to get a better view of the person's face. The person was of his height, so he deduced him or her to be of his age. Natsume strained to look behind the fringe that covered the person's face.

He could almost feel the small smile that crept up the person's lips. If only he could see the face…. Suddenly the person looked up, giving Natsume a full view of her face.

His eyes grew to the size of saucers as his mind sluggishly registered the huge shock he received. No…that was not possible…impossible…how could it be…?

The soothing light still surrounded her, as if the person was radiating with pureness. She gradually came closer to the boy in the bed, her glowing feet barely touching the marble floor.

Natsume was speechless. He yearned to reply to her inviting gesture, but his body seemed to have shut down, refusing to obey his mind. His crimson eyes followed her desperately as she approached.

Closer and closer she came, until she was directly by his bed. He could feel her warm breath rushing down his neck and see the warm smile that graced her luscious lips. One tentative finger reached out to touch her arm which she had laid on the bed. The soft glow that rested peacefully round the hand made it look all the more surreal.

He could have cried with happiness and joy when he felt it contact with solid flesh. No, he was not hallucinating. This was real.

His wildest dream had been answered. The gods have decided to be kind to him after all, by giving back what was most precious to him. He felt as though he were the happiest boy on earth.

She was back.

Or not…

"Natsume?" someone called. Natsume frowned. This was not her voice…

The figure beside him froze, her brown eyes becoming emotionless. She abruptly jerked her hand away, the soft glow surrounding her flaring brightly. Natsume watched her beseechingly.

"Don't go," he said softly. She shook her head and placed a finger on her lips, signaling for him to be silent. She then smiled and formed a single word with her mouth. Natsume strained to understand what she said. Lip sync was something foreign to him, that was for sure.

Footsteps were audible, striding hastily up the otherwise silent corridor. A shadow fell across the room, preceding the owner. Natsume ignored it and continued staring at Mikan.

"Sa – ra – e," Mikan's words came floating lightly out of nowhere. She then blew a sad kiss to the shocked boy and disappeared in a flash of blinding white light.

Natsume howled loudly. Of course, it brought doctors and nurses to his side in a moment. They fussed over him and checked his temperature and all sorts of annoying stuff, but they could not get Mikan out of his mind. The nurse that had barged in quickly lent a helping hand, oblivious to what had happened in the room.

Once again, Mikan had slipped from his fingers…just when he had vowed never to let her go.

Well, he was not one to break a vow. _Especially_ when it concerns Mikan. If she had slipped from his grasp…

Then he would have to find her.

Instead of listening to the doctors' annoying lecture, he concentrated instead on the wordless message Mikan had sent him moments before she vanished. Her lips had formed an 'o' before opening slightly, as though forming an 'a'. Lastly, she brought her lips close together to form an 'i'…

O…a…i…

Oo..a..eye…

Goodbye.

She had said 'goodbye'.

….

Was it okay? Review, please! Don't be invisible! -grins-


	3. Chapter 3

Oh yes, before you start reading this chapter, I have something to say. I know all of you are intent on scolding and beating me -gulp- as long as Mikan is not found. But if she is found that would mark the end of this story right? If I give her back right away, where's the 'fun' of writing this piece of fan fiction?

Believe me, I do not enjoy keeping Mikan invisible either. Torturing Natsume is so cruel -sob- poor Natsume! It is essential, not that I like it -whimpers- Please don't kill me!!!

I changed the genre from Romance/Angst to Romance/Mystery for…um…I don't know why I did it! Ahehe…

**Disclaimer: Would you believe it if I said I owned Gakuen Alice? No, right? So there you have it. I do not own Gakuen Alice.**

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**Chapter 3**

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A raven-haired boy sat by a window sill, pondering his problems. Visions of his last encounter with Mikan, or someone who resembled her, kept flashing across his mind.

Why? Why did she disappear when someone called his name last night?

And most importantly, why did she say 'goodbye'?

_She will come back_, he thought firmly. _She will. Mikan won't leave all her friends behind her. She just…can't!_

He pictured the bubbly idiot giving the cold shoulder to her friends. Almost immediately he shook it out of his mind, scolding himself for allowing such a whim to stray into his thoughts.

No. Mikan would never abandon them. She would not abandon _him_. Kami-sama, anything but that!

"Natsume?" Ruka said softly from the door. Natsume turned around to meet his best friend's concerned gaze.

"Ruka." He made a move to stand up but staggered. Ruka was by his side in an instant, propping Natsume up by his shoulders. He could feel Natsume's thin frame shaking beneath his grasp. Apparently the boy had not completely recovered from his bout of fatigue.

"You really should've stayed at the hospital instead, Natsume," he said in a worried tone.

The fire alice shook his head weakly. "No. I want to…" he trailed off, trying not to retch over the floor. Ruka received his unspoken message.

"Come on Natsume, the Academy is huge. How are you supposed to find her alone? In this condition, no less."

Natsume growled. "Are you implying that I am weak, Ruka?"

"No. But think," Ruka said gently. "Think, Natsume. Do you think Mikan would be happy if she found you like this?"

The fire alice was stunned. So far, he had only focused on searching for her. He never gave a damn about his own well-being. Mikan, on the other hand….

"No," he finally muttered. "But she isn't here to care."

Ruka was silent after his grim statement. Suddenly he gave his friend's shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

"She will always be with us, Natsume…"

"In case you didn't realize, Ruka, she's not here."

"True, she isn't," he said with a soft smile. "But she will always be in our hearts."

Now it was Natsume's turn to be silent. Ruka's words were brimming with wisdom and mirrored pure truth. Mikan was already embedded in their hearts. She will never truly leave them, ever.

Natsume eyed Ruka carefully. "You know what? I think Imai already affected you."

Ruka turned a thousand shades of red.

',',

Much to Natsume's annoyance, he was made to stay in his room for the rest of the day. No amount of shouting, yelling and yes, even begging (though only once to Ruka alone, and that was only after an eternity of debating with himself) would sway Ruka's firm decision.

"You have to get well before you can go out, Natsume," he had declared, leaving a defeated Natsume in bed. Natsume had fumed for hours afterward.

Now, however, his opinion of Ruka's firmness was beginning to change. Natsume actually felt some of the ache leaving his limbs and muscles. Even his head had ceased throbbing painfully.

In fact, he was actually grateful that he was force-fed Ruka's advice despite his reluctance a few hours back.

Natsume flexed his muscles, testing them for aches and pains. He then placed his feet gingerly on the floor to see if they would support his weight. He felt rather wobbly, but his feet did their job.

Placing a palm against a wall for extra support, he started taking baby steps to the bathroom, where he undressed and decided to take a bath in the luxurious pure white bathtub. Foam and bubbles thrived in abundance there, spilling over the smooth porcelain edges. Natsume crept into the sea of frothy rainbow-coloured bubbles and submerged his body in the warm water.

Warm liquid tumbled from a tap placed conveniently in one corner of the bathtub, spewing more bubbles into the water. The entire bathroom smelled of mint, something Natsume secretly fancied.

While he sat there, he could not help wondering what a one-star's bathroom looked like. A lot smaller than his, that was for sure. How could Mikan withstand living in such a cramped space?

The mere thought of Mikan brought a pang of grief upon his heart. That girl could be anywhere, perhaps in another u – _NO!_ Natsume thought vehemently. _She's still alive. I KNOW it._

After all, Ruka _did_ say that she would always be in their hearts. But Natsume was not contented with that.

No. He wanted more.

He wanted the girl herself, in the flesh.

He wanted to ravish her tender body, touch her skin, anything, _anything_ as long as he could secure her as his own.

She meant more than anything else he had. She was his life, dang it!

And he wanted her…he wanted her so much.

_Mikan…where are you?_ Natsume thought beseechingly as his head slid into the water.

',',

"Natsume you idiot!" Ruka yelled, quite forgetting just how dangerous the fire alice can get at times. "If I didn't barge in when I did, you could've died!"

"Hn," Natsume said through chattering teeth. He lit a small fireball and allowed it to hover close to his body, feeding him its warmth. He pulled the blanket closer around his thin body to conserve body heat.

"Why did you choose such a place to fall unconscious?! You could've fallen on the floor or when you were sitting on a chair, but no, you had to faint when you were taking a bath!"

"…" Natsume lowered his gaze to the floor. He hated the way Ruka fussed over him like a mother hen, but he hated himself even more for causing his friend concern. He did not like people to worry about him. It made him worried as well.

Ruka's glare softened. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Natsume. We'll find her. I promise."

"I…I don't know. Ruka, I think I miss her," Natsume choked out with difficulty. He found it very awkward to be admitting it to anyone, much less _Ruka_, but he was the closest friend he had after Mikan.

The animal lover stared at him. Had he really heard correctly? Natsume _missed_ her?

Then again, nothing was impossible anymore. Mikan's mysterious disappearance had breached that rule.

Ruka gulped. Things were changing drastically with the bubbly brunette's absence. What else would spring out at him next?

',',

Two days later Natsume was deemed well enough to resume classes, and return he did, trailed as always by numerous fangirls. It took all of his willpower to restrain himself from reducing them to ashes. Ruka, noticing his rapidly deteriorating patience, hustled him into class without further ado.

Their classmates longed to bombard Natsume with questions, but they knew better than to pester him unless they had a death wish. So they contented themselves with sneaking furtive glances at the irritated fire alice, heads snapping back whenever he gave them a seething glare. Kokoroyomi did not dare to use his alice on him. He did not have to use it either. The fire caster's expression told all.

Class went on as usual that day, albeit being noticeably quieter than it normally was before Mikan disappeared. Even the normally enthusiastic and slightly wacky Narumi-sensei was subdued.

Natsume stuck his hands into his pockets and strode out of the steaming classroom as soon as classes were over, glad to be free of prying eyes.

His freedom was short-lived.

"Um, Natsume-kun -"

His head snapped back. Natsume set a murderous glare upon the newcomer. How dare she call him _Natsume-kun_! Did she not have any respect for him?! That was another reason he abhorred fangirls. They thought they had the liberty to address him as though they were close to him when they were most certainly _not_. In addition to that, they crowded around him when he least needed their annoying company.

The girl gulped and took a step backwards.

"No one," Natsume growled, "calls me Natsume-kun. Is. That. Clear?"

"B-But you let that drab Sakura slut call you that!" she protested.

She never got any further. A blazing sheet of flames roared to life and enveloped her, obscuring her vision and melting her skin away.

"Shut your mouth!" Natsume yelled, a hysterical glint in his inflamed crimson eyes. Mikan, a whore? The nerve of that girl….

The excruciating pain that had left him returned again, nearly knocking him into a nearby wall. Natsume had to bite his lip to refrain from crying out. The agony was almost blinding.

"You…idiot," he gasped before falling to the floor in a faint.

',',

"He's awake," someone murmured.

Natsume blinked. Where was he? And why did he hurt all over? Didn't the pain recede after two days' worth of rest? Memories rushed back to him and he gripped the snow-white blankets in anger.

"Hey, Natsume?"

He looked directly ahead of him. There was someone stooping over him, but he could not make out who it was. All he could see was a coloured blur.

Sighing, he shook his head ever so slightly, regretting it almost immediately. Blinding pain sent daggers into his mind and shut it down. Natsume was forced to close his eyes to dull the agony he was enduring.

Finally he opened them again, crimson eyes gazing blearily at the ceiling. He then allowed his gaze to travel around the room. What he once saw as a collection of hazy dots cleared up to reveal his classmates huddling close to his bed.

"What am I doing here?" he croaked.

Ruka looked grim. "You fainted after using your alice on a student."

Natsume looked away. "Hn." He was not in the least sorry for her. After all, she had brought it upon herself, calling Mikan a slut like that.

His classmates took it as a sign to leave. Quietly they filed out of the hospital cubicle that had served as Natsume's recuperating room for the second time that week. Only Ruka and Hotaru stayed behind.

"The student was admitted for second degree burns," Hotaru said, observing Natsume carefully.

"Hn."

"What did she do to deserve your wrath?"

"She called the baka a whore."

Natsume might have imagined it, but he thought he saw anger flash past Hotaru's empty violet eyes. Her grip around her baka gun tightened and she left the room in silence. The door clicked shut behind her.

"You were really angry, weren't you Natsume," Ruka said evenly.

"…"

Ruka sighed. "Tell you what. As long as you're not back to full health, I am not allowing you to search for Mikan."

Natsume glared at him. "You can't stop me."

"But -" the latter continued "- if you have recovered by the end of the week, I shall accompany you when you search for her, classes or not."

"Bribery," Natsume scoffed. "You really are taking after Imai."

Once again Ruka had to fight down the blush that crept upon his face. But Natsume was not interested in that, comical as it was. His mind was far away, deep in his thoughts of one very special person who had chanced to catch his undivided attention.

That very special person was Sakura Mikan.

',',

Unsurprisingly, Natsume made a speedy recovery after that, taking care not to overuse his alice. He received no missions either, which was a relief. It aided his recovery in its own way.

However, he took care to steer clear of his fangirls lest they should anger him again. He doubted it though. The girl he had injured was still in the hospital, probably scarred for life with the numerous burns she received from him. He really could not care less.

He was intent on finding his Mikan again. She was the only thing that mattered to him now. Screw classes. They were a nuisance to him. They deterred his search for his missing ray of sunshine.

Every day he would comb a selected area of the Academy with the hopes of stumbling upon her, or at least her apparition. He had a weird feeling that it was connected to her somehow, yet not related at all.

Nothing made sense. Then again, nothing in his life ever made sense. He was a walking puppet, after all. His sole purpose was to entertain the audience until he was worn down then discarded like a piece of trash afterward.

But that was his life. He was used to it. He was used to all the torture he was forced to undergo ever so often, and the pain that sliced into him, threatening to rip his life away.

He would not deny that he had wished for death. Oh yes, he had wished for it, and more than once too. Before she had entered his life, he had undertaken missions nurturing a tiny flicker of hope that he would perish in the process.

Now, the mere thought of it seemed absurd. Natsume did not know why, but now he found himself fighting to live. To _live_, damn it! Yet Natsume would not throw his life away for the world, as long as he had Mikan by his side.

And that, he resolved, was the sole reason for him to carry on with his life. To regain Mikan. To claim her as his and lose himself in her deep eyes as she succumbed to his embrace. To see her again every time he opened his eyes.

Who would have known that the imperious Black Cat would fall for a girl? Others saw Mikan was a plain girl, with a low IQ and a klutz to boot. But Natsume saw her as the most beautiful girl he had set his eyes upon, the only girl worthy of his friendship.

_Love does many things to one,_ he mused. _Who would've thought I would think of her as such? Even I never thought it possible, yet here I am, reminiscing about her as though she were a jewel. She is, in a way._

_A precious jewel set in my heart. A precious jewel I have sworn never to let go. And retrieve her I will, even at the risk of my life. For she is mine, and mine alone. If I can't have her, no one can._

_No one defies Hyuuga Natsume's wishes, not even the Anti-Alice Organization. Fuck them for taking her away from me. FUCK THEM! I wish they rot in HELL!_

"Natsume! Did you find her?" Ruka hollered, coming out of the Western Woods. He was already worn out, for he never received the vigorous training Natsume had undergone for the sake of missions.

Natsume shook his head. "No. Go and rest, Ruka," he added upon seeing Ruka's bedraggled look.

"Demo -"

"Go on. You're tired."

Ruka's shoulders slumped in relief. "Hai. Goodnight Natsume."

"Hn."

Crimson eyes trailed after Ruka's retreating back, watching him as he faded into the distance behind numerous boughs and leaves. Natsume was very grateful for Ruka's assistance, but there were times he wished to be left alone.

Sticking his hands into his pockets, he decided to take a short rest in his favourite spot, namely the sakura tree. He could not lie down in the copse anymore since he had single-handedly demolished it a week ago, and he could not say he regretted it. Anger still bubbled within him whenever he caught sight of the sorry mess that was a former paradise.

A gentle wind blew across his face, sending shivers down his spine. It was cool, yet it carried an air of mystery about it.

It seemed to wrap wispy tendrils around Natsume's body and tug playfully at him, lifting the ends of his bangs. At the same time, it led the baffled boy towards the edge of the forest.

Natsume obeyed it without hesitation. After all, how much damage can a soothing breeze cause?

More than he bargained for, apparently.

Suddenly the fire alice pressed a palm to his heart, finding it extremely hard to breathe. His air supply seemed to have been cut off. He gasped and panted in vain. Natsume fell to the ground, clawing desperately at his chest.

"What…the Hell -" he wheezed before a veil of darkness came over him.

',',

"_Natsume…get up Natsume…_"

"Hm…?" With a small grunt, Natsume opened his eyes and rolled over so that he was leaning on his elbows. Crimson eyes scanned the area carefully. Try as he might, Natsume could decipher nothing. Figures since the entire area was pitch black without any source of light….

"_Natsume…get up…_"

"Who are you?" he snapped, furious at his inability to see.

"_Help me…_"

"Do you expect me to help someone I can't see?"

"_Help me…you must…help me…_"

"Show yourself," Natsume demanded. He was really pissed off at the ethereal murmuring. Why could the person not reveal himself or herself? It was very frustrating to talk to empty air.

Natsume experienced a moment of triumph when the voice did not reply. Perhaps it had been an illusion set up to trick him. Well, the plan was foiled.

"_As you wish…_"

Suddenly the area was bathed in a calm golden light. Natsume had to shield his eyes from the sudden burst of radiant light. When his vision cleared somewhat he tried to search for the source of the golden rays.

He barely took two steps before he froze, nearly forgetting to breathe.

No way…it was impossible, yet…it was _her_.

Sakura Mikan, or something that greatly resembled her.

She stood there with her eyes closed, her aura flaring as brightly as ever. Natsume stared at her. A rush of emotions clouded his mind.

Was she Mikan? Was she the _real_ Mikan?

The girl smiled at him, finally opening her eyes to reveal her beautiful brown orbs. They sparkled and danced as cheerfully as those of Mikan's, yet her innocent fawn-like eyes held a dash of sorrow and despair. Natsume could see it in her eyes. She wanted freedom.

"_Help me_," she whispered.

Then she was gone. All of a sudden the blackness lifted and Natsume found himself crouching on the ground. He was shaking with anticipation.

D-Did Mikan really…ask him for help? Was she in danger?

A soothing breeze picked up again and started nudging Natsume. Naturally, he was wary after the nasty shock he had received. But this time, the breeze simply pushed him towards its desired destination. One that Natsume would never guess even if he had tried.

The thing the mystical breeze had brought him to see was, in fact, something he saw every single day to the point it was insignificant in his life.

The sakura tree. Of course. How very absurd.

Why did the wind bring him here?

The fire alice frowned. Oh well. Might as well get some rest in one of the boughs. With that thought in his mind he reached out for a sturdy branch and leaped up, feet landing nimbly on the broad branch.

It was already dark, so Natsume used his alice to light a small fireball. It spread warmth to the tip of his fingers and lit the place with a soothing glow. Natsume watched the tips of his fire dancing away, irregular and passionate in all its reddish-orange glory.

Suddenly it undulated out of his hand, unraveling and stretching slowly to form a thin fiery snake in the air. Natsume gaped. His fire had never gone out of control before….

The snake's head – or what Natsume presumed to be the head anyway – shot towards the trunk of the sakura tree. It hovered for a moment in the air before diving and forming words by burning away some of the bark, feeding them its own flames in the process. Natsume watched it at work with growing fascination.

He paid the flames even more attention when he saw the fiery words inscribed into the deep brown bark of the tree. The same threads of flame remained there, burning with a mysterious air about them. It gave the luminous words an eerie look as though displaying an urgent message.

Sure enough, the thin thread of fire did not disappoint. The words that glowed in its wake were these:

_Find me._

_Catch me, Natsume._

Natsume buried his face in his hands and contemplated the words. How many mysteries must he solve? How many barriers were there to overcome before he would reach his beloved?

His unruly flames fed itself completely to the bark, licking off the smooth bark to make way for a new word.

There, in fancy letters, was a single word below the message, flaring brightly before his eyes and burning itself into his heart.

_Mikan._

The fire alice stared at the word through the slits in between his fingers. Of course, the message relayed by his own flames was from her. Who else could have manipulated his fire like that? Come to think of it, how could she do it? She did not have his alice, after all.

_Mikan…I swear, I'll find you._

….

I hope this chapter pleased you! So now Natsume is one step closer to finding his Mikan, no?

Care to leave your comments? Normal reviews and criticisms are allowed, but no flames please! If you burn me I won't be able to continue this story! -grins-


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, now I'm confused! For now the genres will be Drama/Suspense (I know, I changed it again).

I think romance is out…sorry readers, but I don't think there's a drop of romance in here. Yet.

Help me!!!

But for now, on with the story…welcome to chapter 4 of Search for Sakura Mikan.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice.**

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**Chapter 4**

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He swore that he would find her…but could he do it?

Natsume debated with himself. Should he tell Ruka or not? The news might sound ridiculous to him.

Plus, he did not know how to tell him. Sighing, he flung his blankets aside and pulled his shirt over his head, preparing for another torturous day in class. The door slammed shut behind him, shocking students out of their drowsy state.

As expected, Ruka was waiting for him at the end of the corridor, ready to accompany him to class. Natsume inclined his head and marched on as if Ruka had not been waiting for him.

His friend did not mind. He was used to it anyway. Slowing down to a trot beside Natsume, Ruka peered into his weary face.

"Anything wrong, Natsume?"

Once more Natsume was in turmoil. Should he tell Ruka? Or should he dismiss it?

Suddenly the ground beneath their feet rumbled and shook with a mini earthquake. Natsume frowned and quickened his pace.

"Shit," he cursed. "Damn girls."

Sure enough, a mob of crazed fangirls came running up the corridor, kicking up a cloud of dust as they came along. They were all screaming loudly.

"NATSUUUUUMMEEEE-KUUUNNNNN!"

"To Hell with them," he muttered.

"They never learn, do they?" Ruka murmured with a sweatdrop. His eyes watched Natsume's fists warily, which were clenched tight and shaking. The occasional growl escaped his throat, signifying his deteriorating patience.

"Onii-chan!" Youichi called, pulling at Natsume's pants. "Why is the floor shaking?"

"NATSUUUUMMEEEEE-KUUUNNNN!" Fangirls squealed, falling head over heels in love with him. Youichi frowned and his eyes darkened.

A moment later, the fangirls were sent running away for dear life as many ghosts chased them away from the trio, courtesy of one devilish angel by the name of Hijiri Youichi.

"Serves them right," he sniffed. "Old hags."

Beside him, Ruka sighed, relieved that Natsume did not blow his top. Snatching a fearful glance at the fire wielder's face, he watched the anger ebb away from the handsome features. Soon the only trace of Natsume's fury was his customary scowl.

Absentmindedly, Natsume reached down to ruffle Youichi's silvery head of hair. His eyes glared at the space the girls had occupied as though accusing the corridor for allowing the nuisances to enter.

"I'll take a rest," he said abruptly, leaving Ruka to gape at his retreating back. Youichi ambled along beside his onii-chan with a cuteness that hid the devil within.

"Onii-chan," the young boy started to say as soon as Ruka was out of earshot.

"Hm?"

"Where are we going?"

"…To rest."

"Oh." Youichi fell silent after that.

Upon reaching the sakura tree, Natsume leaned his back against the trunk and closed his eyes, preparing to sleep. Youichi was left to amuse himself while his onii-chan slept.

Picking up a fallen sakura flower, he started to pull its petals, admiring each one carefully. He took in all the details, including the soft, slightly feathery feeling beneath his fingers and light pink hue that decorated every petal.

A gust of wind puffed the remaining bits of flower high into the air and out of reach. Youichi watched it with boredom flickering past his eyes.

The breeze carried the ruined flower and allowed it to dance in the air before dropping it on a branch. One of the petals seemed to point upwards, away from the rest of its fellows.

Amused, Youichi craned his neck. Who knows, the petal might be trying to show him a secret, after all. And secrets intrigued him very much. Reaching out to retrieve the bloom, his sharp eyes caught something different about the bark there. It was shrouded in shadow, but there were black spaces in the trunk of the tree that were too neat and organized to be a part of the rough bark.

Mystified, he traced his fingers over the recesses in the trunk, only to find himself unconsciously lifted onto the branch. A soothing yet disturbing white glow emanated from his skin, but Youichi never paid it any heed. He was too mesmerized by what he felt beneath his fingers to care.

His eyes, already huge, grew wider when the intricate dents flared brightly with a life of their own. He tried to jerk away, but his fingers appeared glued to the bark. All he could do was to watch fearfully as the fiery light crept closer to his finger.

Slowly but surely, it connected with his skin, and Youichi found himself blinded by brilliant white light.

….

….

"Hag!" he exclaimed. Sure enough, Mikan was standing, no, hovering, some distance away from him, glowing with an inner light Youichi could not comprehend.

The apparition appeared surprised upon setting her eyes on him, but her confusion was quickly masked by a smile.

'_Hello there Yo-chan.'_

The young boy whirled around wildly. "Who…who said that!" he exclaimed warily.

'_Help me. Tell your onii-chan to help me.'_

"But how?" Youichi wailed. He was beginning to be afraid of his surroundings. Where was he, anyway? It was pitch-black – definitely not at the sakura tree.

'_Fire…'_

"F-Fire?"

_WHOOSH._

Angry flames roared sky-high, expressing their wrath in reddish-orange splendour. Youichi flinched and backed away, shielding his face with his arm. Dimly he saw the apparition float further away from him, her eyes wide with fear.

The inferno shaped itself into a burning lasso and hurtled towards her, spitting and crackling. Her mouth opened in a silent scream. The loop was five meters away from her now, three meters, two meters, _fifty centimeters_…

….

….

A piercing scream shook the air.

Natsume's crimson eyes shot open and he jumped up. Youichi! That…that was his voice!

Looking around frantically for the boy, he found him nowhere in sight.

"Kuso!" he cursed. A blur of movement caught his attention and he rushed to the other side of the sakura tree, intending to find the source of the scream. There he saw Youichi fall down from a branch and increased his speed with growing anxiety.

Youichi was shaking uncontrollably, so hard that Natsume's arms shook along with him. His eyes were dilated until they were two small dots in seas of white. Perspiration drenched every visible inch of skin.

His very appearance shocked Natsume to no end. What could have made the boy tremble so? Tears started to streak down the younger boy's face.

Smudging them away with one finger, Natsume tried his very best to comfort him, and also to control his mounting fury. Who had dared bully Youichi?! Did they not fear his wrath?

"What happened?" he asked, setting Youichi on his lap. The boy no longer cried, but he still trembled like a leaf in the wind. Huge, fearful eyes looked up to meet his crimson ones.

"The..the old hag. I touched the words on the wood and then I saw the old hag!" His young voice rang shrilly in Natsume's ears.

"Old hag?"

"T-Then there was a burst of fire and…" Youichi broke down, clinging onto his onii-chan's shirt. "Onii-chan, I'm scared!"

Natsume patted him on the head, his mind far away.

_Find me._

_**Catch** me, Natsume._

The words came back to him, clear as day. Had this incident anything to do with _her_? Shaking his head, he decided to ask Youichi.

"What did she say?" he asked in the coolest voice he could muster.

"Fire…" Youichi whimpered. "Fire…a fire lasso."

"…"

Fire? What did it mean? Sure, he had the element of fire by his side, but what had the word to do with his being able to wield fire?

"Calm down Youichi. It's all right," he murmured, allowing the boy to sleep in his arms. "It's all right…"

_Nothing is all right, nothing at all._

….

"Natsume! What happened?" Ruka exclaimed upon seeing his friend with a shaking Youichi in his arms. The younger boy's eyes were closed, but his eyebrows were knitted into a frown and he had bit down on his lower lip so hard that it drew blood.

As for Natsume himself, he was the very picture of confusion and weariness. Ruka was confused and worried. What had happened?

The fire caster ignored them all and marched into his room, opening the door without further ado. Once inside, he placed Youichi gently on his bed and pushed some silvery locks away from the young face.

He frowned when he recalled Youichi's frightened whimpers. Old hag…fire…what did all that have to do with an innocent child? Natsume could not bear the thought of the younger boy being dragged down into the depths of darkness as well. No, let him endure that alone.

'That old hag'…could it have been Mikan? Youichi called her that before…then again, he called every girl he saw a hag, including that irritating Shouda.

Oh…but if only it was her….

All was silent in his magnificent special star bedroom. The trees outside rustled and whispered secrets to the wind, telling it things no human knew.

A movement to his left made him whirl around, crimson eyes darting here and there for a trace of the source of his wariness. Suddenly the chandelier above him fizzed and died.

_Oh great, no electricity_, he thought sarcastically. The duo were now plunged in darkness, for the curtains were drawn over the majestic windows to block sunlight from entering the fire alice's domain.

Slowly, a shimmering light started to invade the middle of the room. Natsume found himself watching its progress rather warily after the way Youichi had reacted earlier. A glowing foot touched the rich mahogany carpet, followed by the ethereal being that was its owner.

"_Natsume_," the creature breathed.

"What the heck did you do, baka!" Natsume snarled, indicating Youichi on the bed. Oh, how he longed to pin her against a wall and intimidate her like he always did before this…but he would only pass through her now since she was not even human, right? No wait, he was able to touch her back in the hospital, perhaps she was able to alter the solidity of her body?

The apparition shrugged. "_I don't know. But help me, catch me_."

Natsume's mind was in turmoil. Half of him wanted to kill her – not literally – for scaring Youichi, but his other half longed for her to be by his side. Which choice would overrule the other?

He wanted her, yes, but that was no reason for her to scare an innocent child! If she had needed help, just come to him, damn it! Oh wait, he could not talk to spirits after all…only this 'Mikan' was an exception.

"How?" he muttered gruffly, never taking his eyes off her.

"_He knows_," she murmured, pointing a finger at the sleeping Youichi.

"Next time, don't drag anyone into this."

"_He is the only one whom I could show it to. No one else had his alice._"

_So there was a reason for it after all_, Natsume thought. All the same, the crime had been committed, and he did not intend to let her off lightly. In fact, there would be Hell to pay when she was safe and sound.

"Idiot," he growled for good measure.

_Knock, knock._

Mikan whirled around in shock and disappeared in a flash of golden light. The door opened to reveal Ruka and Subaru. Subaru strode briskly up to Youichi's prone form and began inspecting him keenly.

"I brought Imai-san here to check on Youichi. He seemed pretty shaken up just now," Ruka explained. Natsume did not know what to think. Once again, he was prevented from learning more about Mikan and how to retrieve her by the arrival of others.

"Hn." He turned to glance once more at Youichi, who was now sleeping peacefully on his bed.

Fire lasso?

Thinking back, sometimes Natsume himself could not fathom why he would take such measures to retrieve Mikan.

Why, exactly?

Well, he…

"I suggest you leave him here for the night, and he'll be fine by the next day," Subaru said, cutting into Natsume's train of thoughts. "He's just shocked, that's all. I wonder what made him that scared?"

"Mind your own business," Natsume snapped. "He can stay the night. Now go."

The medical alice retreated without another word. Ruka was left patting his bunny, staring at Natsume quizzically.

"All right, Natsume?"

"What? Yes…yes, I'm all right…"

Darn you Mikan, can you be any less confusing?

',',

Um. Sorry if Youichi seemed a little OOC…was he? I've no idea, hehe. Sorry.

Tell me if he is okay? Thank you!

Care to donate a review? Okay now I'm crazy.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for the reviews, all! You made me really happy! So here's chapter five as a gift to all of you! -hugs-

**Disclaimer: I'll never own Gakuen Alice, so don't bother thinking I owned it.**

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**Chapter 5**

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Poor Youichi was barely able to swallow his breakfast. His piercing emerald green eyes were bloodshot, and any slight movement was responded with a startled stare. Natsume noticed this and therefore went about his business as quietly as possible, keeping a careful eye on his young charge.

Sumire was of no help either. She had come to coo over him as soon as they entered class, and was quickly scared away by the scariest demons Youichi could summon.

"**_Get away from me you vile creatures…!_**" Her banshee-like shrieks shook every window in the elementary branch. Natsume was prepared to swear that he heard glass shattering further down the corridor.

"Onii-chan, can we leave?" Youichi mumbled, not looking at him.

"Sure."

Ignoring stares from the rest of his classmates, Natsume stood up and exited the classroom with Youichi ambling along beside him, hand in hand. He made to go to the sakura tree, but the latter shook his head and tugged incessantly in the opposite direction.

"Why don't you want to go there?" Natsume asked gently. A determined shake of the head was the only reply he received. Shrugging, he allowed the younger boy to lead him wherever he desired.

They continued walking for quite some time, with Youichi in the lead and Natsume tagging along behind him. Many students stared at the two as they passed, but a death glare from Natsume was more than enough to shut them up.

Finally Youichi stopped walking and sat down on the ground with a bump. Natsume followed suit. By then they were far away from Natsume's original destination, the sakura tree.

The fire wielder observed the younger boy keenly. Youichi was careful not to make eye contact with him, instead lowering his eyes to stare at the gravel stuck on his boots.

"What's wrong?" Natsume asked.

"Don't want to go there," the latter mumbled.

Once again, Natsume was left to wonder what happened to him during his short nap under the sakura tree. Sighing, he bent down to gaze at Youichi.

"Look, I know this will be painful, but can you please tell me what happened yesterday_?" I can't believe I'm swallowing my pride…for **her** of all people_.

Youichi's head snapped up, striking green eyes staring at him incredulously. "Onii-chan! I…" he trailed off when he finally made eyes contact with Natsume. His huge, innocent but serious emerald eyes stared and stared.

Was this really Hyuuga Natsume, the dangerous fire alice chased by the power hungry and revered by girls?

The elder boy hung his head as though in defeat. His eyes held the most indication of his melancholy. The previously burning seas of flame were now dull and almost lifeless.

Youichi was stunned. How did the old hag influence Natsume so? How could a single girl change his whole life? His young mind could not cope with it.

"It's okay if you don't want to," Natsume whispered, barely moving his lips. All at once Youichi shook his head.

"I will," he said, determination burning in his huge eyes. Inwardly he shuddered, but he balled his fists and took a deep breath.

_For onii-chan._

….

Natsume flexed his fingers, deep in thought. His mind reeled with the new information it had received from Youichi, replaying it again and again before his eyes like a movie.

He had not forgotten the look of terror in the boy's eye when he told his tale, and the way his eyes seemed to dart here and there frantically when he came to the part where fire started to consume Mikan.

Come to think of it, he could not say that he did not feel anything at the end of Youichi's story either. In fact, he was _seething_.

How could that baka even show something this…this _disturbing_ to a child? To Youichi, no less.

That girl will always remain an idiot.

Sighing, he uncurled his fist and summoned a small fireball. His action caused warmth to spread up his arm, but it was a desolate sort of warmth, not the kind that made him happy at all.

Natsume flicked his wrist. A thin fiery rope whipped out of his hand and lashed and a tree, demolishing it effectively. Ashes floated down to rest on his hair, but he ignored it, concentrating instead on the accuracy and speed of his attacks. Besides that, he was also bent on shaping his fire into a lasso as mentioned in Youichi's story.

The partly destroyed copse was on the verge of repairing itself, but now it was beaten down again by Natsume's practice. Hn, as if he cared.

_Crunch._

The boy's head snapped up immediately at the noise, sharp crimson eyes scanning the area for the intruder.

_Crunch, crunch…_

"There you are." The voice was cold and heartless, slicing into Natsume like a sharp knife.

"Persona," he growled.

"Mission tonight at nine. Meet me at the gate."

"What!" Despite his exclamation, an inner part of him started to squirm and sniff the air for any sign of 'fun'.

_Revenge_, it hissed.

"Nine," Persona repeated, sparing Natsume a malicious smile. He then strode out of the partly demolished glade, most of it charred and blackened.

The mysterious man chuckled to himself. Natsume's wrath at having Mikan torn away from him would be the perfect alice amplifier. Hell's fire will be at its worst, consuming everything and leaving a pile of ashes in its wake.

Oh yes. Manipulating others was his specialty indeed. And he intended to use Natsume's fury to its maximum potential.

"Hn, Hyuuga…strong alice, weak spirit," he snorted. "Fancy pining for a _girl_."

A baka girl like that outcast Sakura Mikan, no less.

Ah well. He could not be bothered to dirty his hands for the sake of this petty business. All he wanted of Natsume was his incredible power, and his capability to undergo missions. Performing them with a vengeance would be sweeter.

Sweet revenge.

That boy will remain a puppet for always. A helpless little puppet with Persona being the puppeteer, ordering him about by the means of strings attached to his limbs – or rather, holding his sister above his head like an enticing candy just out of his reach.

Dangle the bait before the prey, then reel it then just before he gets a hold on it…ah yes, manipulating others is a fine game indeed.

….

_BAM._

"What is it?" A man yelled to his partner, terrified. The other man could only point in front of him mutely. The car they rode in stood abandoned by the roadside. Well, not anymore.

A silhouette on the bonnet of the car turned to face them, coldness radiating off him in waves.

"Kuro Neko…" the latter whispered, half in awe and half in fear.

"You'll pay for what you did to _her_," Natsume growled, his throat rumbling with unspoken threats of painful deaths by fire.

"Why, how dare you accuse us you little br-" his voice died long before he finished his sentence, for he was dead before he could do so. Natsume glared at the remaining man through the slits in his mask, his crimson eyes burning angrily.

"Three seconds to run, old man…" _**One…**_

"I'm not old!" the man replied heatedly. "You'd better watch your mouth, b-"

_**Three.**_

A painful, agonized shriek.

Then silence. A deathly silence that did not waver even after the man crumpled to the ground with a charred dent where his heart was.

Natsume simply stood there with his right hand curled into a fist, staring blankly down at the corpse.

Someone stepped out of the shadows and clapped slowly. "Well done, Kuro Neko."

"…"

The moon came out from it cubbyhole behind a cloud, bathing the area in radiant moonlight. Eerie shadows seemed to descend on the two males standing immobile on the ground, with two fallen at their feet.

Persona smirked. His idea of using Natsume when he was desperate and resentful was, indeed, not bad at all. Not bad at all.

In fact, it was _brilliant_.

….

All was silent in the glade. Not a whisper, not a rustle could be heard among the leaves.

The undisturbed tranquility was broken by the sound of quiet breathing and the silent, almost inaudible approach of a student. Imai Hotaru bent her head as she walked, unmindful of the gentle stalks that brushed her cheek.

Her violet eyes stared ahead with a glazed look about them. It was rather disconcerting. In her right hand was a thin gold chain with a small heart-shaped locket, swinging in rhythm with her every step.

Upon closer inspection, the words '_**Hotaru** and **Mikan**_' could be seen engraved onto the tiny locket in fancy lettering, right in the center of the heart.

The girl slowed to a stop and brought her fist up to eye level and gazed at words for a long while, as though gathering courage to unlock the clasp that kept it shut. Her action was nonchalant, but her shaking hands betrayed her true emotions. Finally her free hand reached up and opened the locket.

A smiling Mikan sprang at her, lively and happy from the photograph fitted into the frame. Her beautiful brown eyes were dancing with joy then. She was truly happy – then again, when was she not?

Mikan had a similar locket by her side with her unsmiling picture in it, Hotaru recalled. She just had to wonder, did the jovial brunette have it by her side now?

The Ice Queen sighed inaudibly and closed the locket, holding it close to her heart. She could feel the calming palpitating of her heart beneath her fingers, and she pressed her trembling hands against it even harder. The coldness of the metal penetrated her clothes as though they were never there.

She never felt it. She felt neither the cold that stabbed into her chest, nor the painful way the locket dug into her pale fingers and threatened to spill blood.

Hotaru could only dwell on the picture contained within her precious locket, and reminisce the happy times they had spent together since they came to know each other back in the village, for Sakura Mikan was no longer here.

She was gone, like a leaf blown away by the wind. The only difference was that there were people to mourn her disappearance, unlike the leaf which probably would not be missed out of millions of its comrades. A leaf was common; the girl was not. She was irreplaceable and unique.

Mikan was – well, who she was. No one could change that, ever.

The lonely girl threw her deep gaze at the full moon that was smiling down at her.

There was this Chinese legend that said whenever the moon was full, one could see a bunny pounding the elexir of life with a pestle, she mused. And Hotaru could almost imagine it now. Its little paws would be wrapped around the pestle with a huge mortar before it, and an apron would be covering its furry front.

A small smile nearly succeeded in creeping its way onto her pale face, but Mikan's cheerful face suddenly flashed across the surface of the moon and caused the slight upturn of the corners of Hotaru's lips to droop again. Her grip on the locket tightened and she bit down on her lip, her eyes clouded over with worry.

"Mikan," she whispered. _Where are you?_

….

A blonde boy stargazed dreamily at an open field. His back arced as he leaned his weight on his arms, and he sighed unhappily.

Just then a white bunny came lolloping up to him and pawed gently at his hand. Ruka looked down and caressed its fur with a smile.

"Have you found her?"

At its nod, he grunted and stood up, brushing away the dirt that had collected at the back of his pants.

"Good. Let's go."

….

Ruka stumbled along behind his rabbit, always careful to keep an eye on it in case he lost it. Its snow-white fluffy tail bobbed up and down as it leaped ahead towards its master's friend.

The rabbit led Ruka into the forest and into a deep, secluded glade. The boy was perplexed. Why lead him here? Surely Imai-san would not hang out in this glade?

Sure enough, he could decipher the slim silhouette of a girl as he neared the dell. Just then the moon emerged from behind some clouds and bathed the area in moonlight. The girl had her back to him, but Ruka could see enough to decipher the short, raven-coloured hair as Hotaru's all right.

She was oddly quiet – not that she was ever talkative, albeit when explaining her inventions. Ruka went closer to her with apprehension dwelling in his gut.

Hotaru never gave any indication that she knew of his arrival. In fact, she never moved so much as a millimeter from her spot. It freaked him out.

Sucking in a deep intake of air, Ruka prepared himself for the worst outcome and tapped her shoulders gently.

"Imai-san, are you alright?" he asked softly. _Please don't kill me, oh please don't kill me…!_

Hotaru jumped when she felt human hands making contact with her shoulders, but calmed down when she saw who it was.

"Nogi-san," she said curtly, never turning around to meet his eye. Almost instinctively, her grip on the locket tightened. The chain gave a tinkling sound, breaking the tense situation into millions of little pieces.

The bunny came up to its master then scampered forwards to brush itself against Hotaru's leg comfortingly. That caused Hotaru to drop the locket, and it fell down with a soft noise onto the dewy grass.

Ruka stared at the grinning Mikan in the picture for a long moment. The latter kept silent and unmoving, keeping her glazed stare on the very same object that captured his attention. Finally Hotaru bent down and scooped the locket up into her hand. But before she could straighten her spine, a pair of strong, athletic arms had encircled her in a tight, comforting embrace. She froze.

What was this? Why was he even doing this?

"You miss her, don't you?" he whispered into her ear.

That did it. Her self-composure shattered, and Hotaru found her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. Ruka could feel it too. He could feel her lithe frame trembling slightly, and he hugged her tighter in an effort to calm her.

"Everything will be okay," he murmured.

The Ice Queen's eyes stung with unshed tears. The burden she had borne since Mikan's disappearance was felt all the clearer then. It was almost unbearable. She felt as though it was crushing her under its weight.

She did not like it at all.

The last of her strength crumbled, and she buried herself deep in a surprised Ruka's chest and started crying, hard.

"Yes, I miss her, _I miss her_, do you hear me!" she cried desperately, shaking her head. Tears flew away from her, glinting in the moonlight. "I miss her…"

Ruka could only stare at her, half in awe and half in fear. But when a pair of skinny arms found their way around his body, he knew what to do.

He embraced Hotaru harder and laid his chin on her head.

"It's alright, Hotaru…"

"It's okay to cry…"

Hotaru choked and sobbed harder, pouring out all her sorrow and stress in her tears. And Ruka was there with her all the while, allowing her to feel secure in his comforting embrace and sharing his warmth with her.

A little flame of hope reignited itself deep inside her heart– for now Hotaru knew that she was not alone.

',',

Twisted Persona. -shudders-

Well, another chapter done, and I do hope you readers will review! It makes me so happy to receive them.

Stay tuned for the next chapter! I'll try to update as soon as possible (though school comes first).


	6. Chapter 6

Err. I know that my account has been dead for quite a while already. Sorry. I'm _quite_ sure you don't want my excuses, so I shan't explain since I already explained in my profile a few months ago. By the way, I know this chapter is short.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**.

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**Chapter 6**

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Natsume heaved a sigh of frustration and pushed his blankets away from his body. It was barely dawn; the sunlight had only managed to touch the fringe of his red carpet. He slipped into his bedroom slippers and walked toward the sliding doors that led to his balcony. Pale yellow curtains hung on each side of the door frame, fluttering slightly when they caught short gusts of wind from the ceiling fan.

Silently, he watched as clouds drifted about in the sky. Birds darted about in the cold morning air. Natsume pulled the sliding doors apart. Wind rushed in as soon as the slightest opening was available and stung his skin with its icy tendrils. His breath came out in small puffs of vapour.

He watched as the academy grounds came alive with animals of various shapes and sizes, darting under shrubbery and over dry leaves in search of food. He almost envied their lives – they had less to worry about; their lives were simple, almost robotic. None of them had the problems humans had to deal with.

A soft yet insistent knocking on his room door caught his attention. His eyes narrowed as he took brisk steps towards the door. Who would visit him so early in the morning? It couldn't be Persona – that man would never deign to enter a room the proper way, much less bother to knock on a door before entering.

The person behind the door turned out to be Hotaru. She was still in her nightgown, and her hair was messy, apparently uncombed. In the dimly lit corridor, Hotaru appeared pale and fragile. Her eyes were puffy, too, Natsume noticed.

"Imai," he said.

"Hyuuga." Hotaru nodded her thanks as Natsume allowed her to enter his room. Natsume watched her curiously. Turning to meet his eyes, Hotaru said, "Let's work together to find her."

She didn't tell him to whom she was referring to, but there was no need for that. Natsume understood it perfectly. He extended a hand towards her. The warmth of her smaller hand in his was comforting.

"Thank you, Hyuuga," Hotaru said. The door leading into his room clicked shut shortly thereafter.

Natsume turned to look out of his window. Three birds flew in the sky, rushing in and out of trees and out into the open sky again, chirping. He couldn't help smiling a bit.

Things were looking up after all.

….

Throughout the day, Natsume spent his time devising possible strategies to leave the Academy grounds to search for clues yet avoid catching the attention of the academy at the same time. He had wanted to skip lessons for the day, but changed his mind in case Hotaru had something to tell him. So Natsume sat through the boring classes, thinking hard.

He hardly noticed when classes ended for the day. Natsume wondered whether to let Ruka in on the secret. Ruka was reliable and definitely trustworthy, but would Hotaru need him? The blonde's alice would come in handy when it came to scouting and spying.

The classroom was already beginning to grow humid although the fan had been switched off for only five minutes. Natsume could feel beads of sweat trickle down the sides of his face. Before he made a decision to leave the room, however, Hotaru approached him and Ruka, carrying something in her arms.

"Good afternoon, Imai," Ruka said uncertainly, eyeing Natsume with a curious look as if to ask, 'What's going on here?'. Natsume shrugged and turned his attention to the object in Hotaru's arms. It was bulky and had a shiny surface, probably made of aluminium or other, more resilient metals. Other than that, Natsume could make no sense of it.

"Good afternoon," Hotaru murmured in reply. She set down the object in her arms onto the table. A head and four legs popped out of it immediately, startling Ruka and Natsume, although Natsume didn't show it. The thing, which resembled a tortoise, lowered its head and started to inspect the cracks in the table.

"What's that?" Ruka asked, intrigued by the metal tortoise. He was less than pleased when it turned around and chomped on his index finger, though.

"An item-finder," Hotaru said, ignoring Ruka's yelp of pain. "It can find anything that you've lost, as long as it is within a 50-meter range."

"What use is it to us?" Natsume said. He looked pointly at Hotaru then cocked his head in Ruka's direction.

"He can help," she answered, understanding his unasked question. "As for the tortoise…I just brought it with me because I only managed to finish it just now."

The metal tortoise turned its back on the three teenagers and stuck its neck into a hole in the table. Natsume looked at Hotaru.

"Is its searching abilities limited to objects?" he asked. They might be able to use it in the near future if it can double up as a tracking device. Hotaru eyed him calmly, understanding what he was trying to say.

"I suppose we can test that. It's only a prototype, after all."

"What are you guys talking about?" Ruka interrupted. "And what do you need my help for?"

In the blink of an eye, Ruka found himself face-to-face with Hotaru's horse-shoe glove. Hotaru loomed in front of him in the silent yet threatening manner that only she could do.

"Breathe a word about this, and you're dead, Nogi. Do you understand?"

Ruka gulped and nodded. Her message could not have been clearer. "B-but you haven't told me anything yet, so…."

"We're going to find Mikan. You are going to help us."

Ruka managed to smile even though his eyes were still trained on the deadly pair of gloves. "Sure thing, if Natsume wants me to help," he said. Beside him, Natsume shrugged and stuck his hands into his pockets.

That having been settled, Hotaru sat down on the bench opposite the boys and started telling them her plans, improvising as she went in order to include Ruka in them. She was efficient and organised, and Natsume could not help admiring her wits.

They were so caught up in their discussion that they lost track of time. Soon it was late afternoon, nearly evening. The classroom basked in an orange-red glow. The three teenagers inside didn't seem to feel the growing warmth of the classroom. If they did, they ignored it.

Later that night, Natsume twisted and turned about under his blankets. He was restless; hearing Hotaru's plans seemed to have drilled a strong resolve into him. The night was cold, too. He looked out of the window. The sky was a dull red. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

A sudden impulse made him get out of bed and go to the balcony. The wind rushed past him, penetrating his pyjamas and chilling him to the bone. The woods seemed eerie somehow. It was only nine o'clock, but it was pitch-black outside. Natsume could barely see beyond the first layer of trees.

It was pure luck that he managed to spot the figure among the trees. The silhouette was barely visible from the balcony, a small speck in a sea of darkness. Natsume didn't know why, but he had a sneaking suspicion that it was watching him. His wariness sharpened and he watched the silent figure like a hawk.

Moonlight pierced through the dark, heavy clouds for a brief moment, bathing the Academy grounds in a soft glow. Suddenly, Natsume found himself staring into a pair of wide, glazed brown eyes belonging to Sakura Mikan.

She seemed surprised at his discovering her, but she recovered immediately and started to inch deeper into the woods. Her eyes never left Natsume. To him, she looked sad, yet almost reproachful.

"Mikan!" he called out, his voice hoarse from too much exposure to the bitter wind. But before he could do anything else to approach her, she had melted into the darkness as though she never was there.

Natsume stared at the spot where she had stood but a moment ago, despairing. He stood, motionless, for what seemed like a small eternity. When the cold finally got to him, he retreated back into his room and closed the sliding doors, pulling the yellow curtains together to block his view of the woods.

….

Like it? Hate it? (Or hate _me_? Waa)

Do tell. This chapter is currently not proof-read, so if any of you readers would like to point out my mistakes, please do so. It'll be greatly appreciated. Hehe.

Till next time:)


	7. Chapter 7

Seems like I can't update many fan fictions other than this one for a while, since I lost my notebook. Again. So I'll stick to this for a while. Sorry to those who are looking forward to reading updates on my other fan fictions!

Thank you to all readers who actually still read my stuff despite my slow updates. It makes me feel glad, somehow.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice nor any of its characters.**

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**Chapter 7**

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Natsume's footsteps echoed loudly as he walked down the empty corridor. It was break-time for the students; most of them were in the cafeteria, queuing up for their lunch. The paper bag he was holding made crumpling noises whenever it hit his legs. He found that annoying. Scowling, he lifted the bag, folded and twisted the top of the bag then held it in his right hand against his body.

There. Much better.

He walked past a few students who were taking their time to get to the cafeteria. They stared at him; he glared back, his crimson eyes adding to the intensity of his glare. Deciding to ignore them after that, he stalked briskly towards Hotaru's lab, where Hotaru had asked them to meet.

When Hotaru greeted him at her door and told her robot-guard that he was a friend and could be allowed entry at any time from now on, he found himself waiting impatiently to see the first phase of Hotaru's plan being put to work. But even greater than that desire was the desire to bring him a few steps closer to finding Mikan.

Ruka was waiting for him in the lab, his eyes wide as he took in the contents of the once spacious room. Countless inventions and gadgets occupied a lot of space, but Hotaru had somehow made her lab look organised. She certainly had no problems guiding Natsume around her things, although Natsume could not find a visible path anywhere without squinting really hard. Then again, this _was_ her laboratory….

When he finally reached Ruka's side, he took a glance at the tottering piles of metal and other materials. Some were stacked so high, they almost touched the ceiling! He found himself regarding their height warily.

"Will they fall, Imai?" he said. Before Hotaru could answer, one of her robots handed him a cup of tea on a flower-patterned saucer. Chinese tea, he realised as he took a sip from the delicate porcelain cup. Was this her favourite tea?

Hotaru looked around her lab with slight amusement. "No, I think not." She, too, took a sip from her cup. "Have you two brought a spare set of your uniforms?"

Without speaking, Natsume and Ruka rummaged about in their paper bags, pulled out their clothes then handed it to her. She placed them next to her own clothes.

"Any luck with buying normal clothes from Central Town?"

"Yeah. I got a few sets for Ruka and I. None for you, though." Natsume nodded apologetically at Hotaru. She shook her head.

"No matter; I kept my old clothes when I entered the Academy. They should still fit me."

Natsume shrugged and looked around the crowded lab again. "What about a distraction?"

Hotaru nodded. "Two distractions, actually." She retreated into a corner of the lab. Rummaging sounds were heard. A moment later, she brought out three human-sized robots.

Ruka stared at them hard enough to drill a hole through their metal bodies. "But…they look just like _us_!"

"Isn't that obvious?" Hotaru said dryly. "Of course they do. We need someone – or something – to take our places while we're gone, and these androids should do just fine."

"Why not ask Yuu to create an illusion?" Ruka suggested.

The girl gave him a withering look. "No one can keep up an illusion for days, maybe weeks. Plus, he isn't part of our plan. It's just the three of us."

"…Right."

"So, you want them to impersonate us?" Natsume interrupted. "How well can they do it?"

Hotaru waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "You saw how Mikan's look-alike behaved last year. Yours is no different, except that the screws are no longer visible. Both versions still can't impersonate your alices, though."

"That might be a problem," Ruka said. He looked at Natsume, worried. Natsume shrugged.

"Then the amount of time they can buy depends on Persona." He sounded nonchalant, but Ruka and Hotaru could hear the subtle fury in his voice. Being Persona's favourite, Natsume was often called out on missions, so their chances of their gaining much time were slim.

"That will have to do," Hotaru said. She handed a set of her Academy uniforms to her robot look-alike. "Wear it," she told it. "There are more in my cupboard."

She turned to look at the other two robots then pointed at Natsume and Ruka's folded uniforms. "Wear those clothes. You are to impersonate them as well as you can. Understood?"

The two robots nodded, took the clothes and disappeared behind a towering wall of Hotaru's things, presumably to change. Hotaru's robot went to a different corner.

Once that was done, Hotaru looked at Natsume and Ruka. "You two, change into outdoor clothes. You can use that storeroom over there." She pointed at a door to their left, then picked up her own clothes and retreated into another room.

Dubious, Natsume and Ruka exchanged glances, but they took their clothes into the storeroom and changed. The air was stale and was saturated with dust; the two boys were quite glad to leave it when they were done changing.

Hotaru was already waiting for them in front of her three robots. Natsume looked at his counterpart with approval. It even scowled just like him!

Ruka, however, had his eyes trained on Hotaru. She was in a pale pink dress that was much too short for her (it only covered three quarters of her thighs). The faded fabric was stretched quite tight around her chest area, too.

Hotaru caught him staring and sent five bullets from the baka gun toward him, none of which he was able to dodge. Poor Ruka crashed into a pile of her things, which toppled all over him, trapping him underneath. Thankfully, that pile was relatively small and he was able to scramble out without much difficulty.

"What was that for?" he complained, rubbing his arm where a bruise was starting to form. Hotaru pointed her baka gun at him again.

"It's impolite to stare," she stated, narrowing her eyes. The baka gun spat another bullet at Ruka's feet. He would have tripped if Natsume had not caught him on time.

"Imai, you remember that there are detectors around the Academy wall, right?" he said.

"Yes," she replied. "I have more of the anti-detector devices, but we'll only take those as a precaution."

"And why is that?"

"Because," she said, smiling slightly, "we are going underground."

….

Hotaru's mole-shaped robot was waiting for them in a deserted section near the Academy wall, well camouflaged by lush greenery. At the push of a remote control button, the top of the mole's head opened to reveal a small compartment. Hotaru climbed into the driver's seat and invited Natsume and Ruka to enter.

The robot was not designed to hold three people, they realised after Natsume and Ruka squeezed into the compartment as well as they could. There was barely enough space for them to sit down, much less move about. Still, Hotaru said, it would have to do.

The mole-robot jerked to life. Inside it, the three could hear the slight buzzing of its drill turning. When the drill entered the ground, the robot shuddered. Natsume and Ruka held on to handholds in alarm. Hotaru was unperturbed. She knew her invention inside-out, after all.

They stayed in there for what seemed like several hours, listening to the drill's consistent buzzing and scraping of rocks and sand against the metal body of the mole. It was impossible to tell between night and day. A small lamp hanging from the top-right corner of the compartment was their only light source, giving out enough light just to see the various buttons on the control panel.

Finally, the juddering slowed down and the three students felt the robot jerk forward as it came free of the ground. The top of the mole opened and they climbed out with some difficulty, very much relieved to be breathing fresh air again. The air in the compartment was rather stale after their little escapade.

Once they had stretched a bit to rid themselves of cramps, they looked around. They appeared to be at the fringe of a forest. Animal sounds could be heard coming from deep within it. The sound of running water was audible, too. Being thirsty, they searched for it.

It wasn't hard to find the source of the sound. A spring bubbled cheerfully in the middle of the field, disappearing under rocks some distance away. Hotaru went back to her robot to get bottles and filled them up with the spring water. Natsume and Ruka took a bottle each and drank from it, tasting the deliciously cool liquid with delight.

After drinking their fill of water, the three splashed water onto their faces to refresh themselves. Birds darted about in the air, decorating the clear blue sky with dashes of colour that contrasted nicely with the white, puffy clouds. The occasional butterfly drifted past them to land daintily on a nearby flower.

A sense of tranquillity filled them as they watched nature take its course. It seemed so peaceful somehow; so _natural_, as if not even the biggest earthquake could disrupt the balance of the environment here. After a moment of looking around, Natsume stopped admiring his surroundings to glance at Hotaru.

"We made it," she said simply, before she looked skywards again. Still, neither Natsume nor Ruka could fail to notice the extra sparkle in her eyes.

"True," Ruka said. "We made it. But where are we?"

Hotaru turned to look at him, the corners of her mouth curving upwards to form a small smile. Two little suns could be seen reflected in her surprisingly moist violet eyes.

"Welcome to my and Mikan's hometown."

….

Chapter seven done. Now that you've read it, care to review? Hehe.

Belated Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year in advance! Bye-bye 2007; hello, 2008.

I'm hoping to say 'hello' to my notebook again soon…sigh. Just please don't turn up in the trash can. Or anywhere else either, other than in my hands. Lol.

Reviews are greatly appreciated, as usual.


	8. Chapter 8

This chapter hasn't been fully edited yet. I shall do that later IF I have enough time.

And that annoying notebook is still lost…sheesh.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**.

**/'/'/'/'/'/'**

**Chapter 7**

**/'/'/'/'/'/'**

"_Welcome to my and Mikan's hometown."_

The two boys stared at her as they digested what she said. Natsume recovered first from the shock, tearing his eyes away from Hotaru to admire the picturesque view at the foot of the hill. Houses of all shapes and sizes met his eyes, looking as small as dolls' houses from where he stood. Still, it was but a small village; he could see the entire village in one glance.

"Why here?" Ruka said at last, breaking the silence between them.

Hotaru shrugged. "No money."

Natsume kept silent. _So this is Mikan's hometown,_ he thought. Somehow, she didn't seem so out of place when he pieced her together with the village despite her loudness and naivety and the peaceful, silent ambience in the village. Would her village have been more tranquil after her absconding to Tokyo five years ago?

Ignoring the two boys, Hotaru walked back to her mole-shaped robot and touched it lightly with her forefinger. It started to shrink, its long drill receding back into its metal body. Soon the robot was small enough to fit into the palm of her hand. She pocketed it quietly before turning to look at the two boys.

"Let's go," she murmured. Then she set off toward the village, not caring to check if they were following her. The sun shone warmly on the back of her head, bathing the village below them in a peaceful glow.

Watching her silhouette, Natsume and Ruka exchanged glances then followed her, taking brisk steps to catch up with Hotaru.

* * *

The villagers were friendly and generous with their smiles. As the three teenagers walked down stone-paved streets, people who caught sight of them would beam and say hello even though Natsume and Ruka were practically strangers in that place. Those who recognised Hotaru exclaimed in surprise and greeted her in an affectionate manner. She returned their greetings with small smiles and almost imperceptible nods before slinking into one of the less occupied streets. Such attention obviously displeased her unless it was focused on one of her inventions. 

Natsume and Ruka trailed behind her, feasting their eyes on the unfamiliar environment. The air was less fresh than when they were on the hill, but it was still cooler than that of Tokyo's. It was a nice change from the stifling heat autumn afternoons normally brought to the developing metropolis.

There were no towering buildings to block any fierce sunrays, but there were trees of all shapes and sizes round every corner. Not a single house was without at least one flower bush that beautified the garden. This village was truly a stark contrast to the technology-based Tokyo – one was full of grey skyscrapers and office buildings whereas the other was a splash of various colours, mostly green. It reminded him a bit of what he used to call home.

Shaking his head to clear it of a sickening image of the town burning down to the ground, Natsume tried to steer his thoughts toward less depressing topics. There was no time for brooding, however. Hotaru had stopped in front of a house, looking at it with unfocused eyes, perhaps lost in her memories.

A stone dislodged by Ruka's boot broke her moment of reminiscence and she stood straighter in a more determined posture. Her slim body, the way she held herself, the sheer determination in her eyes…. _Yes, she would make a good leader someday_, Ruka found himself thinking. Not that he would say it out loud.

Meanwhile, Hotaru reached out and pressed the doorbell. They heard a sweet tune ring throughout the house from where they stood beyond the formidable gates. No one came to them for some time. Natsume was starting to doubt if Hotaru's memory was as good as he thought it was when the main doors of the house opened to reveal a thin, elegant woman.

As she came closer, Natsume could see that she had shiny black hair, a fair complexion and shocking violet eyes. Hotaru's shoulders tensed and she inhaled sharply, her eyes seeing only the woman. Her clenched hands trembled at her sides.

"Mother," she murmured. The woman slowed to a stop. Disbelief was written all over her face. "I'm home." Hotaru could not suppress a half-choke that sounded very much like a sob. Five years…five long years since she had last seen her mother. Her heart felt as though it was squeezed by an invisible hand.

A few more steps closed the gap between the mother and daughter. The woman reached out to caress Hotaru's face as though to convince herself of Hotaru's presence, in the flesh. Then she smiled and hugged Hotaru tightly.

"Welcome back, Hotaru. Papa and I missed you so much…"

Her mother started to cry. Hotaru's eyes were sparkling with unshed tears while she savoured her mother's embrace. Natsume and Ruka looked on, unwilling to spoil the moment of reunion between the two. Seeing them reunited so happily reminded Natsume of Aoi. He recalled her face with a bitter longing. It has been so long since he last saw her.

It took a while before Mrs. Imai let her daughter go. Drying her tears with one hand, she hiccupped and smiled at both Natsume and Ruka through her tears, looking over Hotaru's shoulder. Hotaru stood stock-still, either out of embarrassment or discomfort.

"Are they your friends, Hotaru?" Mrs. Imai said warmly. Without waiting for an answer, she straightened and ushered them into the house. Natsume watched the gates swing closed out of the corner of his eye, a part of him recalling the frustration of staring beyond the gates of the Alice Academy, unable to escape. It was with some difficulty that he managed to tear his eyes away from the gate and enter the Imai household, where the sense of being imprisoned grew stronger.

Looking around the living room they had entered, Natsume tried to think of the house as a place to stay, and not as a prison. It was hard. The gloom that had settled in the house – because the sun did not shine into the room – set everything a shade darker; more sinister, more depressing. The fact that the almost-blank walls were painted a light grey did not help either.

A sofa occupied a corner of the room, followed by two rattan chairs and one quaint coffee table that seemed antique. The green carpet under Natsume's feet felt thin and worn, but it was still in good condition, its colour the hue of new grass. It was stood out in sharp contrast to the bleakness of the wall and the rest of the furniture.

Natsume's sharp hearing caught the sound of approaching footsteps. Unconsciously, he took a step back toward Ruka and Hotaru, unsure of what to expect. Crimson eyes narrowed in the direction of a dimly lit corridor that extended from the living room. The other three noticed the subtle trace of wariness in the air and turned their heads to watch as a silhouette emerged from the gloom, revealing a middle-aged, bespectacled man with black hair that was turning grey at the roots. He blinked in surprise at the crowd.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" he said, chuckling. His voice was light and had a slightly dreamy quality to it, much like Hotaru's. Pushing his spectacles higher up the bridge of his nose, he took his time examining the newcomers, sparing a smile for each of them.

Then his gaze settled on Hotaru, and his smile stretched into a wide grin, eyes wide with disbelief. She returned his stare, standing straight and looking as cool as a cucumber, never mind that she was trying to salvage her dignity after being stuck in her rather revealing dress.

The fragile tension in the room broke when the man started laughing out loud. Ruka didn't realise that he was holding his breath, but he was. He exhaled and smiled tentatively at the man, whom he deduced to be Hotaru's father. The deep, purple-coloured eyes Hotaru had were definitely inherited from him.

"Hotaru, my girl!" he boomed, scaring the three children out of their skins. The next moment, he had crossed the room and overturned a chair in his haste (_"Be_ careful_ with that chair!"_ Hotaru's mother said, exasperated). Ignoring his guests and his wife, he strode forward and scooped Hotaru into his arms, so that her feet dangled a few centimeters above the carpet.

A snort escaped Ruka as he watched the father and daughter reunion, torn between the desire to laugh and the fear of Hotaru's blackmailing. At the moment, though, it was he who had blackmailing material against Hotaru, and she did not look very happy about it. She shot him a glare from where she was, still stuck in her father's bone-crushing embrace, promising the blonde a lot of pain if he dared emit so much as a laugh. Ruka's next snort died in his throat, sounding rather strangled.

Hotaru pushed lightly against her father's chest with her palms. "Dad," she murmured. "We have guests."

The man looked around, surprised. Natsume and Ruka sweat-dropped at his apparent ignorance. Setting Hotaru down, he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, his eyes set in two upward curves as he grinned.

"Well, so we do. I'm sorry for not realising earlier," he apologised, bowing to the two boys. They introduced themselves then returned his bow stiffly, their bodies still sore from the bumpy ride they experienced on the way to the village. Beside them, Hotaru's mother snorted.

"Didn't realise! They're not tiny – this boy here," she said, pulling Natsume closer to her, "is almost as tall as I am, and you didn't realise they were here!"

"Well, I saw our beloved daughter…" he protested weakly, crumbling under his wife's raised eyebrow. "What about it?"

As Hotaru's mother launched into a tirade, Hotaru glanced at her two friends and gave them a helpless look. Shrugging, she said, "Meet my mum and dad."

Even Natsume could not suppress a chortle.

* * *

A full five minutes (and an interesting argument between Hotaru's parents) later, Mrs. Imai calmed down enough to properly introduce her husband to Natsume and Ruka. The man grinned and waved at them from behind his wife, looking none the worse for wear after the brief argument. The two boys forced themselves to smile. 

"Hotaru, dear, why don't you show your friends around our house? Oh, I know it's not much," she said to Natsume and Ruka, "but it's comfortable and that's what counts."

Not trusting themselves to speak, they nodded and filed out of the living room and into a small garden behind the Imai residence. Hotaru stared at an interesting hole in the ground and actually start shuffling uncomfortably, just a bit.

"So…how do you find my parents?"

Ruka cracked a wide grin. "Great!" he said. "And the look on your face when---"

His voice faded away as he met Hotaru's cool, penetrating gaze, and he gulped. He knew that look _very_ well, oh yes.

A moment later, Ruka was sent flying across flower beds by Hotaru's giant fly-swatter, begging for mercy. Natsume watched the pair with slight amusement twinkling in his eyes. The scene was funny to watch…when you're not the one being beaten up, that is.

Natsume whirled around quickly upon hearing a burst of laughter from somewhere behind him. There, on the doorstep, stood Mrs. Imai, who was the person Natsume had heard. She covered her mouth with one hand as she laughed; a beautiful, tinkling sound that seemed ethereal.

Natsume flinched when the sound of her laughter reminded him painfully of his lost sister. He could not understand why he kept thinking of her lately. The two siblings had been separated for a few years already; why brood over it only now?

Still, separated or not, Aoi _was_ his sister….

Noticing that Hotaru and Ruka were heading back to the house, Natsume followed suit, sparing one last glance at the garden before stepping into the cooler, more dimly-lit building.

* * *

Over a simple dinner, Hotaru's parents pelted the three youngsters with questions. Natsume and Hotaru either nodded or shook their heads when asked a question, them being not very talkative by nature. Ruka's polite answers (in case either of Hotaru's parents were easily annoyed and short-tempered like their daughter) were like magnets for the slew of questions that followed throughout the entire half an hour. 

Inwardly, Natsume chuckled as he watched Ruka from the corner of his eye. The poor boy was trying to juggle between eating his dinner and talking to the adults, and as a result managed to do neither very well. Ruka was the last to clear his plate at the end of the meal.

It felt awkward to be washing their own plates again after not having to wash them during their stay at the Alice Academy. They gripped the sponge firmly in one hand and their plates in the other, carefully cleaning any residues of their dinner off the plates. Their hands slipped and slid; the laws of friction did not seem to apply when it comes to washing plates. Or maybe it was the soap.

_Probably the soap,_ Natsume thought, cringing when he lost his grip on his plate. It crashed resoundingly into the sink. Natsume heaved a small sigh of relief after confirming that there were no lasting damages on the ceramic surface. Who knew that it was so _hard_ to wash a plate?

Mrs. Imai later told them that Natsume and Ruka were to share a room and Hotaru could use her old room. She apologised for any flaws in the rooms, as their arrival was unexpected. The two boys denied and thanked her for her hospitality. The rest of the night was spent talking and watching television. It almost felt like family to Natsume and Ruka. It felt…nice.

Later that night, Natsume and Ruka snuggled into their beds. The beds were thin and felt like a board with barely an inch of soft material stuffed in it. The blankets were made of a coarse fabric, musty and full of dust that had been beaten and shaken out as well as they could before they used it. Despite the unattractive beds, they slept well throughout the night, fanned by cool midnight breezes that entered from the open windows.

* * *

Morning set the room in a different light than what the two boys saw the previous night. The air seemed to shimmer as a soft light filtered into the small room, bringing with it the cheerful greetings of birds from the outside. In his semi-conscious state, Natsume imagined that he could hear the trills of a finch and the twittering of a sparrow. He let the peaceful atmosphere envelope him, relaxed and comfortable on the bed. 

His ears registered the shifting of fabric and he turned his head to the left to see Ruka blinking sleepily at the ceiling. Ruka smiled when he saw Natsume looking at him, mumbling a 'good morning' that was punctuated with a yawn.

"Nice morning, isn't it?" Ruka said appreciatively. Natsume grunted and let his gaze rest on a tree branch outside the window. A single bird was there, hopping about and cocking its head to the side as though listening for something. It flitted away after a while, perhaps to find some food.

A quiet knock at the door prompted the two boys to get up and make their beds before opening the door. It was not hard to do – they just had to fold the blanket and arrange the pillows on the bed. Mrs. Imai was smiling at them when they greeted her at the door.

"How was your first night here?" she asked. Natsume and Ruka assured her that they were comfortable and thanked her once more for her kindness, then followed her into the living room for breakfast. Hotaru and her father were already there, spreading butter on pieces of toast. They exchanged greetings and Mr. Imai invited them to sit, which they did with growling stomachs.

Breakfast was simple – just butter or mango jam spread on toast, and a cup of tea each, but it was satisfying and tasty. Hotaru helped her mother clear up while her father kept the two boys occupied with questions about the Academy. Natsume and Ruka fidgeted and answered as curtly as they could. Breaching the subject was not something they were comfortable with, not yet.

They breathed a sigh of relief when Hotaru and her mother appeared, thinking that Mr. Imai would stop questioning them. Unfortunately, Mrs. Imai took a seat and motioned for her daughter to do the same, then started asking questions of her own. Natsume and Ruka shot Hotaru imploring looks which she pretended not to see.

"So, what brings you out here?" Mrs. Imai asked the three. Beside her, her husband nodded and leaned forward in his chair, resting his chin on his hands as he waited for their answer. The three teenagers squirmed in their seats.

"We came to---" Ruka said haltingly.

"Find someone," Natsume finished, looking anywhere but at Hotaru's parents. Hotaru nodded when her mother shot her an inquisitive look.

"And the Academy allowed you to do it?" This time it was her father. All three youngsters shook their heads.

"We ran away," Hotaru said, "to find Mikan."

Mrs. Imai's eyes, which had widened, softened as she understood. Her husband looked equally shocked, though if he had anything against their decision, he did not voice it. Instead, he exchanged glances with his wife and almost smiled. Natsume got the shock of his life when the patriarch clapped him on the back.

"Well, I don't know where Mikan-chan might have disappeared to, nor what caused her disappearance, but good luck finding her," he said, grinning. "She was a nice kid, despite her clumsiness."

Natsume snorted and Hotaru managed a small smile. Thankfully, that was the last of their interrogation and all five filed out of the house to bask in the morning sun.

….

**EDIT (2/3/08):** _Changed 'three' to 'five' years. Thank you _mountainelements_ for pointing it out! Just to clarify something: Natsume, Ruka, Hotaru and Mikan are all fifteen now._

Um. I'm not sure if this is the perfect place to end it, but I've delayed this chapter long enough as it is, in my opinion. So, er, yeah. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Reviews are welcome; criticism even more so. Just refrain from flaming if possible. Oh and if you spot any mistakes, feel free to tell me. It'll be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


	9. Chapter 9

You don't want excuses, I'm sure...but I'll just dump this one on you: school is cumbersome.

There. Now on with the story!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice.**

**/'/'/'/'/'/'**

**Chapter 9**

**/'/'/'/'/'/'**

Natsume and Ruka could not understand why they were following Mrs. Imai all around the village. She seemed to stop at every shop she saw, going in with empty hands and coming out with…empty hands?

Hotaru and her father said nothing, though Mr. Imai had a huge grin on his face, and Ruka really could not guess why. What was so funny? His legs were beginning to ache, his skin was burning from the heat of the sun, and he was _quite_ sure this was the third time they had rounded this particular corner….

Just when he decided that enough was enough – guest or not, he _did_ have a right to know where his hosts were dragging him to – Mrs. Imai emerged from yet another shop, humming happily.

"I'm done shopping!" she said in a sing-song voice, smiling from ear to ear. Natsume and Ruka gave her puzzled glances when they checked her hands and found that they were empty…again. They looked up and down her body; nope, nothing out of the ordinary. Was she hallucinating or something?

"Okaa-san," Hotaru sighed exasperatedly, though her cool expression did not fade. "What did you buy this time?"

Now Natsume and Ruka stared at Hotaru as though _she_ was mad. There was obviously nothing that resembled stuff bought from shops, besides her clothes, on Mrs. Imai's person. So what was she talking about?

Natsume was beginning to wonder if the Imai family were slightly wrong in their heads.

Mrs. Imai just smiled wider then took something out of her pocket and waved in the air. Natsume and Ruka squinted to see the object, their vision impaired by the strong afternoon light.

And they saw…nothing.

They were getting really frustrated with this game of cat and mouse. But why, oh why, did Hotaru look as if she wanted to burst into a fit of giggles, and her dad busy laughing his head off?

Mrs. Imai chuckled a bit then beckoned to Ruka. Curious and a tad apprehensive, he stepped forward and opened his palm when Mrs. Imai asked him to. She dropped something small into it, kept it hidden from view by placing her hand over Ruka's, then called Natsume.

Unable to suppress their curiosity, they looked at the tiny thing in Ruka's hand. It fit nicely in the middle like an acorn. Come to think of it, it did look like an acorn….

Natsume raised an eyebrow at Hotaru.

"It's something our clever Hotaru made when she was eight," Mr. Imai said proudly, beaming. Hotaru tried, and failed, to hide her embarrassment.

"Otou-san…" she muttered. Her father ignored her and continued.

"My wife here likes to go shopping and always comes back with her hands full, if not with more than she can carry," he said. Now it was his wife's turn to blush, embarrassed. "That acorn-shaped thing in Ruka's hand is Hotaru's way of helping her mother. She can fit a surprising amount of things into that small bag and best of all, the bag's still light as a feather even after it's loaded." Mr. Imai was grinning widely now. "Our Hotaru's quite the genius, isn't she?"

This time, Hotaru gave up all pretence of ignorance and proceeded to scrape the pavement with a sneaker-clad foot, looking anywhere but at her classmates.

Ruka could not rein in the laughter that was rumbling in his chest anymore. He laughed out loud.

Right in front of Hotaru.

The girl's head snapped up at the sound, amethyst eyes glaring icily at the laughing blonde. Without further ado, she activated her fly swatter and brought it down on his head.

The force of the blow forced Ruka to literally kiss the dirt in front of Hotaru's sneakers. With a satisfied smile, she retracted her fly swatter and kept it, looking at Ruka all the while.

Spitting out any dirt he might have in his mouth, Ruka hastily wiped his lips with one sleeve, wincing when he ran his fingers through his hair and felt a growing bump.

Natsume watched the event unfold with a small grin etched on his face. The two of them really looked and acted like a couple. He could envision him and Mikan in their place, too. They always bickered even over the slightest of disagreements. He felt a dull ache in his chest at the mere thought of her.

Reflecting on the past few months, he sighed inwardly. They had managed to get away from the Academy, but how much time had they bought? How long before the Academy sends people after them? He knew that students with the tracking alice were not uncommon in Persona's arsenal of 'helpers'.

True, they had left the Academy behind. But what now? Mikan's location was as vague as ever. She could be overseas now for all he knew. Then again, if the Anti-Alice Organisation worked against the Alice Academy, it would be based in Japan, right?

Still, Japan was large. She could be anywhere, from as far away as Mount Fuji to as close as being under his very nose. Natsume frowned as his thoughts whirled in his head. There had to be something to lead them toward finding her…there must be.

"Ne, Hyuuga-kun?"

Natsume took an instinctive step backward then relaxed when he saw Ruka and the Imai looking at him curiously. To brush off what would have been an embarrassing moment, he shrugged and said, "They were funny."

The adults chuckled while Ruka and Hotaru looked away from each other in defiance.

"You still haven't told me what you bought, okaa-san," Hotaru said pointedly, breaking the awkward moment.

Her mother winked. "That's a secret. And a treat for you little ones."

"We are not _little ones_!" Ruka whispered indignantly behind Hotaru's back. The girl rolled her eyes.

"Bread, vegetables, cheese, milk, fruits, a bar of chocolate. What about the tablecloth?" She dragged her words deliberately, a small glint of playfulness in her eyes.

Her mother stared at her, mouth agape. "Honey, that was supposed to be a secret!" she whined. "How did you find out, anyway?"

Opening her fist, Hotaru showed to them another acorn-shaped bag. "They're the same thing."

A dramatic sigh escaped Mrs. Imai. "I guess I have no privacy anymore…."

Someone snickered behind her, but coughed and cleared his throat as soon as she turned around. She dismissed it and grinned at the three teenagers.

"Now that you know what I've brought, let's head out to the hills," she said, smiling. "Picnic time!"

Once out of Mrs. Imai's sight, Hotaru shook her head and tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, squeaking when her feet was swept off the ground. Her amethyst eyes met a similar pair belonging to her grinning father.

"Otou-san…" she hissed. "I'm wearing a _skirt_!"

Ruka had to keep himself from blushing at Hotaru's legs. Her pale blue plaid skirt had slipped lower towards her stomach, revealing a good portion of her thighs. Quickly, Ruka looked away. As much as he found Hotaru amusing (but scary), he didn't want to see her exposed like that.

Disgruntled, Hotaru wriggled out of her father's grasp and smoothed her clothes. Her eyes held the slightest hint of annoyance as she straightened her lavender blouse and pulled her skirt lower to cover more of her legs. No one dared to speak until she was done.

She looked at each of them, keeping their gazes locked with hers until she looked away. Finally, she said, "Let's go."

The tense atmosphere evaporated and the group of five started at a slow walk towards the hills.

* * *

The clearing they used for their picnic was further away from their landing spot the previous day. This one was more hidden, surrounded by thick foliage that eventually thinned as they approached the place. The leaves on the trees were a crisp brown, sometimes red with flecks of green.

The picnic was a modest affair. Mrs. Imai pulled out a red and white tablecloth and laid it on the grass then piled food on it. The five tucked in ravenously, realising that their walk around the village and the hike up the mountain had built up an appetite for them all.

Wiping a bit of tomato juice from the corner of his mouth, Natsume leaned back and watched the clouds creeping lazily over the boundless sky, lost in his own thoughts. Hotaru and Ruka stared at the sky as well. '_Where is Mikan now?'_ they wondered.

They stayed like that for a long time while Hotaru's parents teased and argued with each other some distance away. It felt familiar and comforting, yet alien to the three teenagers. Peers were the only family they had in the Academy, unless you count the teachers, and they weren't the same as having a _real_ family. A real family was…nicer.

Grunting a little, Natsume shook off his daydreams and stood up. Hotaru and Ruka stopped watching the clear blue sky to look at him curiously, only to resume sky-gazing when Natsume ignored them. He strode away from the group, looking at the ground in a thoughtful manner.

He had walked quite some distance from where Hotaru and Ruka were when he noticed something unusual at the fringe of the woods. He didn't know what was so unusual about it, really…it just happened to catch his attention. Retracing his steps, Natsume frowned and called out to Hotaru and Ruka urgently.

"Look," he said, indicating a suspicious-looking trail on the dark soil. There was a set of footprints imbedded in the soft, loamy ground that trailed deep into the woods. That in itself would not have been so interesting had there not been a long, unbroken trail, almost twelve inches wide, beside the set of footprints as though something – or someone – had been dragged.

Ruka and Hotaru inhaled sharply, understanding Natsume's unspoken question. Their hearts hammered in their chests at the sudden discovery. It might have been their wild imaginations fuelled by their desire to find Mikan, but what if their hunch was right and Mikan was hidden somewhere nearby?

It was almost too good to be true. For all they knew, it could have been nothing but the trail of a predator and its fallen prey. But dimming that tiny hope dancing in their eyes was just too much to ask for, perhaps. They didn't want to stop hoping.

"Do you think…?" Ruka asked, hoping to receive an answer. He searched Natsume's eyes for any form of clarity, shivering a little at the coldness that glinted in the crimson depths.

Wordlessly, without telling them, Hotaru left the two boys to do some scouting around the edge of the woods. Dry leaves crackled and twigs snapped under her sandaled feet as she walked, sounding very loud in the silent place.

Her eyes scanned her surroundings for telltale hints. A sudden short blast of air rushed past her, blowing her hair into her face and tugging at her skirt. Hotaru whipped around quickly, staring a few feet into the woods. She saw some movement there; she was sure of it.

Carefully, she walked into the woods, stepping over huge buttress roots and around bushes and ducking under branches heavily laden with leaves. Sometimes a stray twig would snag her hair or her clothing, but she brushed those away impatiently and continued deeper towards the mysterious fluttering object. It was still moving, its frayed tips riding on some light breeze Hotaru couldn't feel.

Moving closer to it, Hotaru felt the excitement within her grow with every step she took. She didn't know why she felt that way; that piece of cloth might have been nothing more than what it was – a torn rag. Perhaps it was her intuition bells ringing. Or maybe it was because the trail Natsume had noticed earlier seemed to run past this sapling that marked a fork between two forest paths.

The first thing that caught her eye was the familiar pattern on the cloth. It was of a deep blue hue, the colour of the Alice Academy's shorts and skirts for middle school students.

Teasing the cloth away gently from the twigs that held it in place, Hotaru gave the fabric a long stare before pocketing it and trekking out of the woods.

* * *

Out in the clearing, Natsume and Ruka had noticed Hotaru's absence, as did her parents. A worried Mrs. Imai fretted over it constantly, wringing her hands and tugging at her hair in a frustrated manner. The two boys tried to console her with the aid of her husband to no avail. In the end Natsume and Ruka volunteered to look for her, if only to get away from Mrs. Imai.

Natsume sighed. It was just like Hotaru to go wandering like that without telling anyone. That girl liked to act alone though her teamwork was fine. Ruka trudged along beside him, his brow creased slightly with worry.

"Where do you think she is?" he asked Natsume, who shrugged and pushed aside a branch, waiting for Ruka to pass before letting it go.

"I wouldn't worry about her."

"I suppose so…" Ruka said reluctantly. Rows of trees loomed ahead, much bigger and taller than their cousins at the clearing. Branches and roots protruded from every angle like spears, waiting to trap them.

Deep in thought, Ruka brushed aside a thin branch absentmindedly, quite forgetting Natsume who was walking alongside him. The fire alice hissed when twigs slashed his right cheek and pulled painfully at his ear.

Cursing loudly, Natsume broke the branch in half with both hands, taking care to avoid making the situation even worse, then proceeded to try teasing an annoying twig out of his alice controlling device. Boy, does it hurt! Flustered, Ruka bent down beside him and took the branch to help Natsume, apologising again and again for his mistake.

Natsume winced when he felt another sharp tug. He had really bad luck sometimes, he thought darkly. Why hadn't he seen it on time? Dodging a branch was practically nothing in comparison to dodging real live enemies. Still, he had trusted Ruka to be careful and therefore had let his guard down a little….

"There." Ruka breathed a sigh of relief as the twig finally dislodged from Natsume's earring. It was small with a forked end, skinny enough to weave through the controlling device and get stuck near the hole pierced in Natsume's earlobe. Natsume glared at the inanimate object, rubbing his throbbing ear.

"Stupid thing," he muttered venomously. Ruka apologised one more time and offered to help him up. It was not long before they found Hotaru trudging slowly from a deeper part of the woods looking flushed and a little excited. She met their gazes solemnly then continued walking as though she had not disappeared at a moment's notice. Shooting a glare at her back, Natsume turned and walked back the way he came, this time extra careful to avoid branches.

When the trio appeared from between two twisted and wizened trees, Mr. and Mrs. Imai looked up and walked quickly towards them anxiously. Hotaru's mother gave her a sharp lecture while her father looked on, trying to look stern but appearing relieved instead.

Hotaru sighed inwardly and resigned herself to her fate. Catching Natsume's and Ruka's eyes, she gave them a meaningful look. She would talk to them later.

Back at home, Hotaru's mother fussed over her, tending to small cuts and bruises Hotaru never realised were there until they stung under a damp cloth. Still, the pain was bearable and she managed to keep her neutral expression as her mother placed plasters over some of the bigger cuts.

"Really, Hotaru!" Mrs. Imai said, vexed. "What were you thinking of, gallivanting off into the woods like that? You got me really worried!"

"I'm sorry, okaa-san," Hotaru murmured. She felt a little guilty for neglecting to inform them before she left, but her excitement overrode her common sense at that time. Mrs. Imai looked calmer after Hotaru's apology.

"There, all done. No more walking off without telling me or your dad, do you hear?"

Hotaru nodded and stood up slowly, her legs stiff after sitting down for so long. "I'll be in my room if you need me."

Her mother nodded in reply and watched worriedly as her daughter disappeared into the dim corridor leading to the bedrooms. Hotaru could feel her eyes watching her back until she rounded another corner. Instead of entering her room, she went down to Natsume and Ruka's room, the piece of fabric tucked safely inside her pocket.

The air was rather heavy that night, she noticed vaguely. The corridor was dark, with only one lamp at the end of the corridor to light the way. Occasionally a moth would dart in front of her then flit away again, perhaps attracted to the light emanating from the lamp. She hoped they would not go too near to the fire; moths were found at the base of the lamp every day, either dead or without wings. It was unfair that they had to suffer that way…perishing because of the deadly flames that attracted them so much.

Shaking her head to clear it of such thoughts, she took a few more steps then rapped softly on Natsume and Ruka's room door. She heard some shuffling before the door clicked and opened to reveal a curious but polite Ruka, thinking it was Mrs. Imai.

He looked surprised to see her, but let her in anyway. Natsume was unfolding his blanket inside the room. He nodded at her then sat down on his bed, ignoring the two of them. Hotaru broke the silence with her soft voice.

"I found something interesting in the woods today."

Shocked, Natsume and Ruka stared at her, eyes wide and disbelieving. Wordlessly she pulled out the blue fabric and passed it to Natsume. It was a little worn and faded, more crumpled after sitting in Hotaru's pocket for hours.

No one voiced out the silent hope that birthed in their chests. They just stared at the rag, each deep in thought. Finally, Ruka said, "Do you think it's…?"

His friends' faces were grim, but he could see a faint hope glimmering in their eyes. Were they on the right track at last? Was this blue rag a clue ripped from Mikan's skirt?

They could not prove it, but they could still hope.

...

Okay, done with chapter nine. Like it? Hate it? Tell me in a review; every writer likes those. Encourages me to write a little faster. Haha.

I'll try to update within a month's time, but as usual, no promises... I'll just try my best.


	10. Chapter 10

One word: Enjoy!

**EDITTED: 7/6/2008 - just some minor changes to sentence structures.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice.**

**/'/'/'/'/'/'**

**Chapter 10**

**/'/'/'/'/'/'**

"Good morning, children," Mr. Imai greeted amicably over the morning paper. Hotaru, Natsume and Ruka muttered tired 'good morning's in response. Pushing his reading glasses higher up the bridge of his nose, the Imai patriarch nodded at the teenagers before returning to the paper.

Mrs. Imai greeted them more warmly than her husband did, even embracing each of them lightly. If she noticed the way Natsume tensed under her touch, she said nothing and flashed him a bright smile.

Silently, the trio spread butter and jam on pieces of toast and munched on them, their eyes unfocussed and distant. Mrs. Imai's lively chatter was lost on all on them, even Ruka. They had stayed up the night before to discuss about their next move and had finally come up with a plan. They had to leave the house, pronto. It would jeopardize Mr. and Mrs. Imai's lives sooner or later, and none of them wanted that.

Now the only problem that remained was breaking the news to Hotaru's parents. They weren't sure if the adults would stomach that easily after sheltering them and treating them like their own children, especially since one of them really was their only daughter. Hotaru had enjoyed every moment they spent together as a family even though she did not show it much. It was like being young again, when she and Mikan still roamed the hills after school without a care in the world.

They kept exchanging glances throughout the day whenever they thought Mr. and Mrs. Imai had looked away. None of them wanted to tell the adults, yet it had to be done somehow. They could not put the lives of normal civilians in danger just because they needed a reliable base to work in.

The three teenagers sat together that evening to watch television, routinely done since day one of their stay. Natsume cringed inwardly with distaste. Soapy operas were not his thing. As the voice of the main actress caterwauled through the television, him, Ruka and Hotaru mumbled in low voices, debating and arguing with each other.

"You do it, you're their daughter after all…."

"Ruka, you try if you don't want to be blackmailed."

"I dunno, they might need more persuasion than just me…and hey, that's cheating!"

There was a small popping sound as the television died. All three teenagers turned their heads to look at Mr. Imai, who had one eyebrow raised in their direction. He was no longer smiling, but he wasn't openly displeased either. Just curious.

They looked at each other for a while, an adult against three young ones, silently scrutinising each other, trying to read each other's expression. Mrs. Imai just looked on serenely without taking sides. Natsume realised too late that their unusual silence had not gone unnoticed.

Mr. Imai sighed and positioned himself more comfortably on the worn sofa. "Well, kids, care to tell us what's up?"

At his light tone, the three teenagers looked down. This was it; they had to tell the adults now. It could not wait any longer.

"We must leave." Hotaru went straight to the point as usual, looking at each of her parents in turn with a calm gaze. Beside her, Ruka and Natsume lent her their silent support, their backs straight and their faces solemn. All three feared the reaction of her parents. Would Mrs. Imai cry? Natsume was sure Hotaru disliked seeing her mother sad, much like any other child.

What they failed to speculate, however, was her parents' immediate acceptance. The resigned looks on their faces was almost as painful as seeing either cry. Natsume could sense a slight hesitation coming from Hotaru.

"When?" Mrs. Imai said morosely. She reached out for her daughter then pulled back upon having second thoughts. Hotaru closed her eyes.

"This evening, if possible."

"But..." Mrs. Imai's voice cracked under the strain of barely suppressed emotion. "Can't you stay a little longer? I'm sure it's safe. Just a few more days, or at least until tomorrow--"

"No, mother," Hotaru said heavily. Her parents' shoulders sagged. Exhaling, Hotaru strengthened her resolve. Revelation of her own sorrow would only fuel her parents' efforts to dissuade her from leaving. "We need to leave as soon as possible," she insisted.

"Hotaru," her father said. Listening to the family of three argue, Natsume could not help but feel a bit annoyed. Her parents were putting up a fight, as expected of them. They had finally been reunited with one of their children after five years, after all. If the pain they felt was the same as the one he felt when he lost his sister, well, he could pretty much sympathise with them.

But still, could they not understand his urgency to leave this warm, sheltered place Hotaru called home? He - and Ruka and Hotaru, too - didn't want anyone to be hurt because of their selfish desire to find Mikan. Smothering a groan, Natsume's temper flared a little.

It was just a brief flash of irritation, a sharp, searing anger that dissipated as soon as it appeared, but everyone noticed it. Mostly because it manifested in the form of a burning coffee table and a shower of broken glass.

Eyes wide, Hotaru's parents scrambled away from the fire-licked table. Ruka and Hotaru inched away, too, but less hastily since they were used to the spurts of flame that was Natsume's alice.

Natsume, however, stared at the crackling fire with something akin to morbid fascination. He watched, transfixed, as it consumed the tough wood along with the cups and the cookie jar. The slow, seemingly deliberate, taunting movements of the flames was a horrible mockery of one other instance when the flames played like they were doing now.

That time, the immense power behind the fire ravaged his entire hometown. That time, he lost his father, his mother, and pretty much everyone he knew during his childhood. A cold finger ran down his spine.

Feeling sick in the pit of his stomach, Natsume spared the burning table one last glance before bolting out via a window, leaving a puzzled audience behind.

* * *

His shoes rang shrilly on the stone pavements. Pebbles, dislodged from the thick slabs of concrete, skittered down the paths. Natsume paid heed to neither. The wind roared in his ears and his heart palpitated wildly as he ran and ran, letting his feet carry him.

He could not understand why it happened. His control over his fire was almost perfect; he was able to conjure it in short, sharp bursts or in huge fireballs without breaking a sweat – at least, when it didn't mean over-exertion. So _why_ had the fire broken out in the Imai's living room?

Natsume was scared. Yes, scared. Who would not? His fire had the ability to raze the entire house if given a chance. And god, he hadn't wanted it to happen. It was an accident!

But that was precisely why he was afraid_: it was an accident_. It wasn't meant to happen.

His breaths came in harsh gasps now, heavy and laboured with his sudden exertion. Tired, he slowed to a stop under a tree, unable to shake off his shock. The cold night air pricked his sweat-drenched skin and froze his lungs when he inhaled.

_Calm down, Natsume_, he thought. _Panicking won't help you_.

Taking deep breaths, he leaned deeper into the tree trunk and looked up. The moon grinned back at him, a thin crescent sliver in the night sky; a young moon tonight. Natsume wiped the sweat off his brow.

The neighbourhood was silent past nightfall as opposed to the hustle and bustle during the day. Unlike the city though, and even the Academy which had its own forests, there were more nocturnal sounds permeating the air. Natsume could hear the call of owls and some crickets, and the barks and growls of stray dogs in the distance. If he strained his ears a little, he could even hear a howler monkey screeching from high up in the mountains to the west of the village.

He closed his eyes and let his senses wander. Already he felt much calmer, his frazzled nerves soothed by his long run and the ambience of the night. He could feel his limbs trembling with exhaustion.

Heaving a weary groan, Natsume fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

"Wake up."

Natsume didn't hear the person clearly. Sleep still beckoned to him, having claimed him as its own only after sunrise. Someone took his shoulders and gave him a gentle shake.

"Wake up," the woman coaxed again. He knew it was a woman – her soft, gentle voice told him so. She shook him again. The warmth of her hands reached through his shirt and spread down his arms. It felt nice.

His eyes snapped open. In a reflexive movement, he slapped her hands away and tried to distance himself from her, regarding her warily. She was, as he deduced, a woman. Rich brown curls rested on her shoulders and cascaded halfway down her back, held away from her eyes with a hairband. The slight wrinkles on her forehead and her plain, worn clothes told of a hard life.

She was looking at him now, not with anger, but merely out of concern. She leaned forward a little to get a better look at him.

"Are you all right, young man?" she said.

Natsume turned away, unable to look into her eyes. "Yes, thank you," he replied brusquely. She smiled at his answer.

Her smile. It sparkled in her eyes and chased away the wrinkles from her face. Natsume found himself seeing a shadow of Mikan in that.

"Well, that's good," the woman said, satisfied. "I was worried for a moment there."

Natsume got up to leave. Unfortunately, his limbs protested, pricking his nervous system to remind him of his lousy choice of a resting spot the night before. He winced and tuned the pain out of his mind.

"Sorry," he said to the woman. It was all he could offer her for her unfounded concern.

She smiled again. "No problem. Well, I'll be going now." With a cheery wave, she turned on her heel and walked down the pavement.

He watched her go for a while, his mind still somewhat hazy with sleep. Taking a few steps forward, he breathed in the cool air of the morning and looked around.

The villagers were already up and about despite the youngness of the morn; not much later than eight o'clock judging by the position of the sun. Natsume could smell fresh vegetables and fruits from where he stood. In the distance, fishmongers yelled at the top of their voices and bartered with their customers.

Children walked alongside their mothers, laughing and grinning as they clung to their mother's skirts. Natsume stared after them almost wistfully. How long had it been since he had done that? He could scarcely remember the details anymore.

Seeing as he had nothing else to do, he stepped forward and melted into the crowd, exploring the market and familiarising himself with civilisation once more for the first time in years.

He found the village market to be fairly huge, spanning along two streets and into the town square. It was speckled with colour, too – many, many colours that clashed and blended and fit together in that spot but somehow never seemed out of place. Voices could be heard everywhere, noisy yet not overly disruptive.

Natsume almost smiled, content with just watching the villagers go about their daily lives. He found it oddly amusing, how they interacted and bickered as though without a care in the world. Indeed, he felt calm, letting himself drift with the crowd.

"You there, wanna buy some fruits? Fresh from the orchard!" a fruit seller yelled at him. Natsume stopped and looked at the fruit stall. Watermelons and apples and pears gleamed in the sunlight, looking as fresh as the fruit seller claimed them to be. Natsume went over to the stall and picked up an apple. It sat in his hand, its red coat shiny and inviting.

"I'll take one," he said.

The fruit seller grinned. "You've made a good choice, young man."

"Hn." Natsume walked away to explore more of the market. He sank his teeth into the firm flesh of the apple, crunching juicy mouthfuls of it with relish. It relieved his parched throat and quelled his hunger for a while.

It was then that Natsume regretfully remembered that his friends were probably waiting for him at the Imais' house. They would be worried for him.

At least, he knew Ruka would, and perhaps Hotaru as well. He wasn't too sure about her parents, though. What with the fiery display topped with his abrupt disappearance last night, he would not be surprised if they treated him like a ticking time bomb. He knew he deserved it.

But that didn't mean he was ready for it.

It was almost noon before Natsume dared to think about returning to the Imai residence. The sun had almost reach its zenith and so it was considerably warmer than it had been in the morning. He trudged up the now-familiar village streets with a heavy heart, dragging his feet in his hesitance.

It wasn't long before he spied the reddish brown rooftop of the house and the old tree growing beside it. Every step he took was mental torture, hacking away at his strength. Only his hardened resolve to end his friends' worry kept him from turning tail and avoid the inevitable confrontation like a coward.

He stopped in front of the gate, a finger poised to ring the doorbell. But he didn't press the button. Instead he stared at the house beyond the rusty metal bars, marvelling at how imposing it suddenly seemed. He remembered the drab walls, the dreary feel of the house; the cobwebs hanging from corners in the ceiling and the almost empty hall. The Imai residence never sounded more uninviting.

But then again, the Imais took them in and sheltered them, did they not? They were happy despite the simplicity of their home and their lives, satisfied with what little the village could offer. Mrs. Imai always smiled, always kind and gentle. And then there was Ruka and Hotaru too.

He would be endangering them all if he stayed. Not only was there the threat of the Academy and the Anti-Alice Organisation's people – Natsume was not so foolish as to delude himself that the AAO would not love an opportunity to hunt him down now that he was no longer under the Academy's wing – hounding them, but now his alice was unstable too.

His hand dropped to his side. Should he leave them all and work alone to find Mikan? It certainly sounded safer for them….

"Oi, Natsume!"

Natsume's head snapped to the left upon recognising his name – and the voice. He took an involuntary step backwards as though to run away. "Ruka," he said evasively. The blonde boy marched up to him and frowned.

"Do you know how worried you made me and Hotaru?" Ruka said, exasperated. "You ran off just like that. Gave Mrs. Imai a scare when you jumped out of the window, mind."

"I'm sorry. You won't understand--"

"Understand what?" Ruka demanded. Natsume halted and looked at his friend, his eyes showing his fear.

"So you started a fire and burned a table. Big deal," Ruka continued. "What's there to get spooked about?"

"My alice," Natsume snapped, breaking under the increasing tension Ruka was placing on him. "I can't control it anymore."

There. He said it. Natsume took a deep breath and looked away, not daring to face Ruka. Would he hate him now? Or would be back away in fear like the others when they learned of the tragedy he supposedly brought upon his hometown?

Ruka did not speak for a long time. Passers-by walked to and fro, oblivious to the grimness felt by the two boys. Time seemed to stretch forever, moving slower than a sloth, each second ticking ominously like the tolling of a death bell.

Natsume's crimson eyes darkened with resolve. He would leave Hotaru and Ruka and travel alone. It was too dangerous to travel with an unstable alice. Everyone knew that. Now all he needed to do was to wait for Ruka's fear to overpower his common sense. Natsume took a deep breath. It stabbed his lungs like a chunk of ice.

_SMACK_.

Natsume's neck cracked as his entire head was forcefully slapped to the left. Shocked but resigned, he idly noted how hard Ruka could hit when he wanted to. His cheek stung and throbbed with pain. He could even taste the coppery tang of blood where his teeth had cut into the inside of his cheek.

Slowly, he turned to face Ruka again, lifting his head to look at him in the eye, half-fearing what he would see. Even without looking he knew Ruka was angry. It practically radiated from him like a heat wave.

"You're thinking of leaving us behind, aren't you?" Ruka said bitterly. It was not really a question; it was a statement, because Ruka knew it was so. Natsume's mind always worked like that.

Natsume didn't utter a word.

"You think that you're a ticking time bomb now that your alice is unstable," Ruka continued, using Natsume's own words as his own. "But you know what? I'm tired of you being so angsty and pessimistic."

He punched the fence near Natsume, making the wire netting rattle and shriek in protest. His eyes blazed with anger.

"You are coming with us, and that's it. We'll risk your alice exploding." Ruka pronounced each word clearly with emphasis to get his point across.

When Natsume did not answer, Ruka grabbed his shoulders and shook him once. Natsume could feel Ruka's hands trembling from the boy's vice-like grip on his shoulders.

_He's feeling guilty too_, Natsume realised, ashamed. Ruka probably didn't like yelling at him like that, any more than he would enjoy hurting an animal. And he knew of Natsume's fear of his alice exploding like his sister's did. But he yelled at him anyway.

Unable to come up with a satisfactory answer, Natsume shrugged off Ruka's hands and walked across the street, eyes shielded by his fringe.

"Hn," was all he said. But that one syllable brought a smile to Ruka's face; there was no worry of Natsume deserting them now, that much he knew.

When Natsume finally returned to the Imai residence after dusk, the three teenagers packed up and got ready to leave.

* * *

Seems that there Document Manager didn't screw up the document after all. Hmm. Thank goodness I didn't get a repeat of what happened with the precious chapter. Haha.

Reviews of all kinds are accepted and appreciated.

Until next time, then!


	11. Chapter 11

_The past is history and tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift – that's why it's called the present. _– Kung Fu Panda

Um. Sorry?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice.**

**/'/'/'/'/'/'**

**Chapter 11**

**/'/'/'/'/'/'**

At Mrs. Imai's insistence (and also because Natsume was too tired to argue), the teenagers spent yet another night under her roof. Neither she nor Mr. Imai asked any awkward questions, for which Natsume was relieved. He had had enough excitement for one day.

This time, however, he pointedly refused to sleep anywhere near the bedrooms, opting instead to sleep on the kitchen's cold stone floor with only a rug as his bedding and a thin blanket to cover him. His friends' protests fell on deaf ears; he considered it a compromise for his earlier acquiescence.

If the room he shared with Ruka was cool, the kitchen was chilling. Cold drafts blew past him from under the door and the ventilators wedged between the wall and the ceiling. The stone floor cooled along with the decreasing temperature and ended up very cold, sending icicles up to Natsume through his makeshift bed.

Uncomfortable but determined not to give up, Natsume brought his limbs closer to his body and folded the blanket twice over himself, resigned to a second restless night.

* * *

Unlike the previous morning, Natsume woke up relatively early, having been deprived of sleep by both the cold and the constant worry that gnawed at his heart. He looked around the kitchen and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw nothing had been burnt during the night. The scarcity of flammable materials in the kitchen – besides the gas stove, which he had removed the night before – was the reason he chose to sleep there in the first place. That, and also because the kitchen was isolated from the rest of the house, a tiny space tucked in the upper left wing of the building away from the bedrooms in the lower right.

He got up and folded the blanket and the rug, painfully aware of how his joints seemed to have rusted overnight. One night outdoors and one night on a cold floor without sufficient protection against the cold left him with aching muscles, stiff joints and a minor headache that grated against his skull.

Slowly, he stood up opened the door, knowing that it would lead to the small garden Mrs. Imai cultivated. The morning air blew past his face, bringing with it the scent of the many flowers that bloomed in the garden. Natsume looked up. The sky was splashed with all shades of blue and white, still dark with the essence of night. He could still see a few stars glimmering in the endless canvas of the heavens.

He walked around the garden, letting the scent of the flowers and the peace of the morning wash over him. The occasional breeze teased his already messy hair into knots and chased away the last dregs of sleep. Leaves rustled above his head, bringing his attention to the gnarled, lonely old tree that guarded the garden.

For the first time, he noticed that it was a fruit tree, a mandarin orange tree to be precise. Its leaves drooped from the branches now, crisp and dry after exposure under the autumn sun. The tree bore neither fruit nor flowers at this time of the year.

Natsume ran a hand down its rough, flaky bark, admiring the numerous scars near its roots that were probably afflicted by strays sharpening their claws. The wounds had closed up and healed over time, but the scratches remained a tad paler than the rest of the bark. He couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the poor tree.

His train of thought was broken by a sudden clamouring in the house followed by a cry of surprise. Natsume was about to dash into the house when the door to the kitchen was flung open roughly.

Ruka looked very flustered, his clothes dishevelled and his blonde hair messy. He stared wide-eyed at Natsume who was standing under the tree. Natsume could hear Ruka's heavy breathing from where he stood. Clearly Ruka had run all the way from his room.

Natsume watched his friend with a tiny smile. "Morning, Ruka," he said, bemused. Ruka continued staring at him as though he had grown two heads.

"I'm sorry, I thought…the folded blanket…" Ruka stammered. Natsume looked away to hide a grin, though his eyes mirrored his sadness. Yes, he could have left unnoticed that morning…why did he not?

Perhaps he just got tired of running. At least, that was what he preferred to think.

Still gazing at the sky, Natsume said, "Don't worry. I haven't gone."

He could almost sense Ruka's relief; it was easy to imagine the smile on his face. He heard Ruka take a few steps backward.

"Come on, I think I hear the others waking up."

Natsume nodded. They would leave after breakfast. Walking back to the house, he tried to think of the future and not what they were leaving behind – a shelter, a haven, and family (in Hotaru's case).

* * *

Breakfast was a silent affair. No one spoke aside from the standard greeting of "Itadakimasu", and even that was said without much cheer. Mrs. Imai's eyes were slightly red and puffy; Natsume knew without a doubt – and thus felt more guilty – that she had been crying.

He got the impression that the adults were trying to drag time, to maximise the amount of time they could get to be with their daughter. He closed an eye to that.

The meal lasted longer than an hour. Hotaru offered to help her mother clear up in a rather awkward manner and took the plates from her without waiting for an answer. Mrs. Imai looked as though she would start crying anew.

Praying that Hotaru would not delay them for too long, Natsume went with Ruka into their room to retrieve the backpacks Mrs. Imai had given them as a parting gift. They had decided to travel light and find or buy anything else they might need later, so their backpacks weighed close to nothing.

Natsume paused to look around the room for one more time before leaving, taking in as many details as he could remember. A dull ache settled in his chest. He would miss this place, even though it had only housed him for a few days. It felt more like home than anywhere else in the world. Excluding the home he once had, of course.

Hoisting his backpack over one shoulder, Natsume beckoned to Ruka and stepped out of the room. Their footsteps sounded awfully loud in the dismal-looking corridor. It was as though the house itself was sad at the idea of their departure.

The family of three was waiting for them in the middle of the living room. Mr. and Mrs. Imai both had one arm placed on either of Hotaru's shoulders, with their daughter holding their elbows in a gentle grasp. A touching sight, and a gesture Hotaru would not be willing to part with for a long while.

Natsume's footsteps sounded ominously loud as he left the corridor. They boomed and echoed in the confined space, ricocheting off the cement-plastered walls numerous times before fading away. _Like a church bell,_ he noted absentmindedly. Except without the serenity a church bell brings. He tuned the noise out after that.

"So." Mrs. Imai paused. Her lower lip trembled a little. "So. You'll be leaving now, then?"

"Yes." Natsume nodded his reply. "Thank you for your kindness." Beside him, Ruka echoed his words. Mrs. Imai reached out and held Hotaru gently by her shoulders.

"Take care, all right?" she whispered, more to her daughter than to anyone else. With an obvious effort, she patted Hotaru and forced herself away.

"Bye, okaa-san."

Mr. Imai grinned bravely. "Have fun, Hotaru-chan…." Then he burst into tears. Everyone sweat-dropped at the peculiar sight. Come on, how often do you see a man crying?

Rather hastily, the other two said their goodbyes and exited the house, unwilling to watch any more drama. Their brisk pace only slowed after they had long lost sight of the roof of the house. The sun had climbed to its zenith by that time.

They stopped for a while for lunch, something Mrs. Imai had packed for them before they left. Natsume was touched; the lunch was simple and they were given only small portions, but each spoonful seemed to melt in his mouth. And ignorant he might be of the price of household goods, but he knew strawberries were costly and possibly rare in this district.

It made him wonder just how much Mrs. Imai considered them her own children. He felt squeamish about it, but at the same time he felt indescribably _warm_, as if he had consumed some wine. Never mind that he was not supposed to know the taste of wine yet. The life of an undercover agent for the Alice Academy had its ups after all.

As they continued down a less worn path leading out of the village, Natsume mulled over their plan again. It was so flimsy, so full of gaping holes the enemy could exploit. It was still the best plan they could come up with, though, with their information count so close to nil. Just one scrap of cloth! What good would that do?

None to them, but someone might be able to sniff out some good. And that 'someone' was man's best friend – a dog. According to the plan, Ruka would coax a dog to follow the scent and hopefully lead them to Mikan. Hotaru's own tracker would be a backup plan should the dog fail. Natsume had voiced his objections and pointed out many weak chinks in that plan, but Hotaru just looked at him witheringly and said, "Do it or ditch it."

Her cool statement had stunned Natsume into a grudging submission. Now that he took the time to think about the pros of the plan and not the cons, it actually looked okay. It made hope bubble up within him, something he hurried to quash. The last thing he wanted was to feel broken because of a lost hope. It definitely wasn't needed; certainly a hindrance to the cold, bitter fire alice.

They reached the clearing whence so many events had unfolded lately with a stray dog trotting faithfully at Ruka's side. It was a mangy mutt, a mixed-breed, with messy black fur and a patch of white around its eye that looked more yellow or brown. Its left ear looked the worse for wear, having been partially chewed off a long time ago. Natsume ignored it as well as he could.

Drunk on Ruka's soft and captivating murmurs, the dog followed them to the middle of the clearing, wagging its tail all the while. It allowed Ruka to pet it and sniffed the cloth Ruka offered with interest. Natsume felt another stab of doubt. Dogs had to be trained before they could properly follow a scent, especially old ones, and this dog they got was but an inexperienced stray. He wondered if it could live to up their expectations.

The dog went into the woods willingly enough, nose to the ground, sniffing out a scent no human sans tracker alices could follow. Excited yips and barks were their only indication of the dog's location, though it never strayed too far from Ruka. As such, Ruka walked further ahead than the other two, with Natsume and Hotaru following at a more leisurely pace.

The atmosphere dimmed the deeper they went into the woods, the canopy filtering most of the sunlight that would have reached the leafy ground. Natsume looked at Hotaru from the corner of his eye. She occasionally clicked a button on her handheld gadget – a self-mapping device, Hotaru said, to keep track of their location. For that he was grateful. Getting lost in the woods was the last thing he wanted.

Natsume halted in mid-step when the dog ahead emitted a low warning growl. Rushing to Ruka's side, he found the stray glaring at something he could not see yet, its fangs bared in anger. Ruka failed to calm it down, though not for lack of trying. Its growls grew louder, more ominous.

And then there was an answering growl.

Natsume's awareness shot sky-high. His muscles tensed and he narrowed his eyes, scanning the immediate area for a predator. Beside him, he dimly registered Hotaru kneeling to plant something into the ground. Slowly, slowly, he took a few cautious steps forward so that he stood before Hotaru and Ruka. _I can shield them better this way_, he thought grimly.

The growling continued on both sides with no sign of an approaching predator. Natsume flexed his arm muscles in preparation to conjure a fireball as a last resort. He had no control over it now; it was no longer safe. It hurt to think of it that way. Fire had been his friend for as long as he could remember – and his worst enemy. Natsume almost chuckled at the irony of it all.

"Don't move," he cautioned the other two. Both nodded silently. Natsume took a deep breath and allowed his instincts to take over.

Abruptly, everything was silent.

Caught unaware by the sudden change, Natsume straightened and allowed himself to relax a little, watching the area like a hawk. Nothing seemed to be out of place.

"Looks fine," he started to say, but Hotaru intercepted him with a warning. "Look out!" she said urgently.

Natsume turned just in time to see a very impressive set of teeth directly in front of his face, ready to strike.

….

I'm not really pleased with this despite checking over and over again, but since an update is long overdue I'll just post it and revise later if necessary.

Hope you enjoyed it nevertheless. Sorry if you've lost the gist of the story; it was unintentional.

Please read and review!

Notes: 1. I am not sure if mandarin oranges actually grow in Japan, mind.

2. Are strawberries rare in rural areas of Japan? No idea.


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